British Airways’ last Heathrow-based 747-400s are to be retired tomorrow morning.
The two aircraft – G-CIVB and G-CIVY – will take off in a special synchronised departure on parallel runways followed by fly past along the southerly runway by G-CIVY.
G-CIVB will be painted in its heritage ‘Negus’ livery.
The event will be livestreamed on Facebook by BA, and social media users have been invited to share their memories of the aircraft at 7.47am and 7.47pm on Thursday October 8 using #BA747farewell hashtag.
Retirement of the airline’s fleet of 747-400 was brought forward as a result of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the airline and the aviation sector, which it says is not predicted to recover to 2019 levels until 2023-24.
Thousands of British Airways flight crew, cabin crew and engineering teams have worked over several decades on and with the long-haul aircraft.
Alex Cruz, British Airways’ chairman and chief executive, said: “Tomorrow will be a difficult day for everybody at British Airways as the aircraft leaves our home at Heathrow for the very last time. We will pay tribute to them for the incredible part they have played in our 100-year history and to the millions of customers and BA colleagues who have flown on board and taken care of them.”