British Airways today revealed exactly what, and who, is on one of the airline’s 850 flights a day as the peak summer holiday period kicks in.
A Boeing 747 jumbo jet operating from Heathrow to New York JFK is loaded with more than 7,000 items – many of which have to be unloaded and re-loaded before each flight.
Included in the inventory are 101 full bottles and 388 quarter bottles of wine, 293 headrest covers, 350 bags of pretzels, 78 toilet rolls, five first aid kits and up to 800 items of bedding.
In an average year one in two (47%) are solo travellers, while 27% travel as a pair. Around 70% are travelling for leisure, while 28% are flying for business.
So far this year, a quarter of cargo flying in the hold has been made up of priority goods such as fashion products, the latest smartphones or tablets.
While five per cent of the cargo was specialist cargo like live animals or high value artwork, four per cent has been perishable produce such as raspberries from Kenya or lettuces from the US.
Three per cent of the cargo was temperature controlled pharmaceuticals and lifesaving vaccines.
Some of the year’s most interesting shipments includes cognac from Bordeaux to Kuala Lumpur, emergency lettuce from Los Angeles in response to the UK’s heatwave vegetable shortage and special royal wedding magazines from the UK to the US.
BA brand and customer experience director, Carolina Martinoli, said: “Many of our customers are curious about flying and want to know who or what else is on their aircraft.
“With more than 800 flights each day all over the world it takes a lot of planning, from loading cargo to wine, to toilet rolls, and first aid kits.”
