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| British Airways retires entire 747 fleet after travel downturn | British Airways retires entire 747 fleet after travel downturn |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| British Airways has said it will retire all of its Boeing 747s as it suffers from the sharp travel downturn. | British Airways has said it will retire all of its Boeing 747s as it suffers from the sharp travel downturn. |
| The UK airline is the world's largest operator of the jumbo jets, with 31 in the fleet. | |
| "It is with great sadness that we can confirm we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect," a BA spokesman told the BBC. | "It is with great sadness that we can confirm we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect," a BA spokesman told the BBC. |
| Airlines across the world have been hit hard by coronavirus-related travel restrictions. | Airlines across the world have been hit hard by coronavirus-related travel restrictions. |
| "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," the spokesman added. | "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," the spokesman added. |
| BA, which is owned by International Airlines Group (IAG), said the planes will all be retired with immediate effect. | |
| It had planned on retiring the planes in 2024 but has brought forward the date due to the downturn. | It had planned on retiring the planes in 2024 but has brought forward the date due to the downturn. |
| BA is currently the world's biggest operator of 747-400s and first took delivery of them in July 1989. Originally, the upper deck contained a lounge which was known as the 'club in the sky'. | |
| Fuel efficient | Fuel efficient |
| The British carrier added it will operate more flights on modern, more fuel-efficient planes such as its new Airbus A350s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners. | The British carrier added it will operate more flights on modern, more fuel-efficient planes such as its new Airbus A350s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners. |
| It expects them to help it achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. | It expects them to help it achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. |
| Boeing's 747 helped democratise global air travel in the 1970s, and marked its 50-year flying anniversary in February 2019. | Boeing's 747 helped democratise global air travel in the 1970s, and marked its 50-year flying anniversary in February 2019. |
| US-based Boeing signalled the end of the plane's production a year ago. | US-based Boeing signalled the end of the plane's production a year ago. |
| A wave of restructuring triggered by the virus outbreak is hitting airlines across the world, along with plane-makers and their suppliers. Thousands of job losses and furloughs have been announced in recent weeks. | A wave of restructuring triggered by the virus outbreak is hitting airlines across the world, along with plane-makers and their suppliers. Thousands of job losses and furloughs have been announced in recent weeks. |
| Hundreds of BA ground staff face redundancy as the airline slashes costs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. | Hundreds of BA ground staff face redundancy as the airline slashes costs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. |