It’s Sunday again, so it must be time for some more airplane art.
This week, we have a British Airways Boeing 747-400 parked at its home base of London Heathrow (at Terminal 3) as it is turned around for its next flight. This was the last time I captured one in digital form.
The British Airways Boeing 747-400 fleet was retired from commercial service on Thursday 17th July. All 28 active aircraft were stood down, with the further use of them.
The move will end nearly 50 years of flying of the Boeing 747 with the airline, who started flying the type under BOAC, through to the current incarnation of British Airways. Historically, the airline operated the Boeing 747-100, Boeing 747-200 and the Boeing 747-400, operating at peak 60 aircraft.
Sadly, with passenger demand still in the dumps and international traffic not expected to recover until to pre-pandemic levels to 2023, the airline has chosen to suspend the commercial operation of the type, in an email sent out to the airline’s staff.
British Airways operated three different configurations based on the amount of business class (the Club World product) installed in them.
The long haul fleet is now made up the Airbus A318, Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A380, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 787-10, leaving the A380 as the last quad-engined aircraft in the British Airways long haul fleet.
In the short-haul fleet, the Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Airbus A321, Airbus A321neo and Airbus A321neo ply trade for the airline.
More airplane art next week!
Photographers notes:
- Camera: Canon EOS R
- Lens: Canon EF 24-105 IS f4.0 L Series lens with RF to EF Lens
- Settings: ISO 125, 47mm 1/160 at f5.6
- Shot from a Finnair Airbus A319 taxing into London Heathrow – Trip report here.
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