British Airways will no longer operate the 747 jumbo jet.
British Airways announced on Friday that it would retire its entire fleet of the iconic Boeing 747 jumbo jets, citing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The airline initially planned to retire the fleet of 31 aircraft in 2024 but its end has been hastened by the dramatic fall in long-haul air travel demand.
“It is with great sadness that we can confirm we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect,” the airline said in a statement.
“It is unlikely our magnificent ‘queen of the skies’ will ever operate commercial services for British Airways again due to the downturn in travel caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic.”
British Airways operated the plane to destinations in China, the US, Canada and Africa.
The carrier explained the move would allow it to operate more flights on newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft, such as the Airbus A350.
Passenger traffic across Europe was down 93% last month compared with June 2019.
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