How The Boeing 747 Transformed Flying From London

Concluding our series on the Boeing 747, how it transformed flying from London bringing new airlines, new routes and reducing journey times.

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British Airways Boeing 747, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
British Airways Boeing 747, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Image Credit: British Airways)

Concluding our series on the story of the Boeing 747 at BA, here’s a broader look at how the aircraft transformed flying from London over the past 50 years.

The 747 Brought New Airlines To London

Air New Zealand, Avianca, Cathay Pacific, Braniff International (aided by deregulation of the US market) and Virgin Atlantic all launched their first services from London with the Boeing 747.

As you can see from Air New Zealand advert below it, as many airlines did, likened the Boeing 747 to a flying hotel.

Air New Zealand, London Gatwick - Auckland, August 1982
Air New Zealand, Boeing 747 London Gatwick – Auckland, August 1982
Avianca, London Gatwick - Bogota, via Madrid & Barranquilla, May 1978
Avianca, Boeing 747 London Gatwick – Bogota, via Madrid & Barranquilla, May 1978
Braniff International, London Gatwick - Dallas / Fort Worth, February 1978
Braniff International, London Gatwick – Dallas / Fort Worth, February 1978
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British Airways’ Special Boeing 747 Charter Flights

Our story of the Boeing 747 at BA continues with special charters, including flights for sports teams and members of the Royal Family.

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Dreamflight, London Heathrow, 2015 (Image Credit: British Airways)
Dreamflight, London Heathrow, 2015 (Image Credit: British Airways)

Continuing our series on the story of the Boeing 747 at BA, here are some of more memorable BA 747 flights from the past 40 years. 

Unlike yesterday’s more controversial flights, these are special charter flights for moments of celebration and significance:

Dreamflight

Dreamflight, London Heathrow, Sunday 27 October 2019
Dreamflight, London Heathrow, Sunday 27 October 2019 (Image Credit: British Airways)

Founded in 1986 by former staff members Patricia Pearce MBE and Derek Pereira, Dreamflight raised funds to charter a BA 747 to fly children with a serious illness or disability to Orlando.

Approximately 200 children travelled on the flight with BA cabin crew and a dedicated medical team.

Each flight was given a special send-off at London Heathrow with BA staff and celebrity guests. Since the first flight in 1987 more than 5,800 children have flown on Dreamflight.

Sadly, Dreamflight did not take place in 2020 due to COVID-19. Hopefully, it will be able to resume, with a different aircraft, in 2021.

Dreamflight, London Heathrow, 2017
Dreamflight, London Heathrow, 2017 (Image Credit: British Airways)
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British Airways’ Most Memorable Boeing 747 Flights

Our series on the story of the Boeing 747 at BA continues with some of the most memorable flights of the past 40 years.

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BA Flight 149, BBC News, August 1990
BA Flight 149, BBC News, August 1990

Continuing our series on the story of the Boeing 747 at BA, here are some of the most memorable BA 747 flights from the past 40 years.

These are flights, some of which are still controversial to this today, that are remembered for the wrong reasons. More BA 747 flights from happier times will be shared tomorrow.

BA9 “All Engines Fail” – June 1982

On 24 June 1982, a BA Boeing 747-236 aircraft en route from Kuala Lumpur to Perth plunged 25,000 feet.

All four engines had failed after the aircraft hit a cloud of volcanic ash from Mount Galunggung in West Java, Indonesia.

Captain Eric Moody, who at the time did not know the cause of the engine failure, told passengers: “This is your captain speaking. We have a small problem and all four engines have stopped. We are doing our damndest to get them working again. I trust you are not in too much distress.”

Captain Moody, First Officer Roger Greaves and Engineering Office Barry Townley-Freeman spent 13 minutes trying to regain power on the engines. The aircraft subsequently diverted to Jakarta, where it landed safely.

The Last Flight To Kuwait – August 1990

The circumstances surrounding flight BA149 on 1 August 1990 remain a source of controversy to this day. The flight was scheduled to depart London Heathrow at 16:15 GMT for Kuala Lumpur, via Kuwait and Chennai.

There had been news reports on the day of escalating tensions between Iraq and Kuwait. BA claims it was advised by the British embassy in Kuwait that the situation was calm and there was no reason for the flight, operated by Boeing 747-136 G-AWND, not to operate.

The aircraft was in radio contact with BA in London during the flight. At no point were the flight crew advised of an impending invasion or to divert the aircraft.

The aircraft landed in Kuwait at 04:13 local time.  At around 05:00 local time the airport closed. In the next hour the runway was attacked by Iraqi forces and the aircraft was evacuated.  Passengers and crew immediately went to an airport hotel.

According to BA, 310 passengers and 82 BA employees were held hostage by Iraqis.   Women and children were allowed to return home in late August.  The remaining hostages were dispersed to various sites and some were used as “human shields”.  The last remaining passengers and BA employees were released on 9 December 1990.

The aircraft was destroyed following the liberation of Kuwait.

British Airways Boeing 747-137 Aircraft G-AWND, Kuwait
British Airways Boeing 747-137 Aircraft G-AWND, Kuwait

The controversy surrounding this flight is why it proceeded to operate when other airlines had suspended operations and who in BA and the UK Government knew what, and when.

It has been alleged that the UK Government wanted the aircraft to land in Kuwait to enable an intelligence gathering exercise to take place.

BA has always denied any knowledge of a group of intelligence operatives boarding the aircraft at Heathrow.  The UK Government maintained that the aircraft landed in Kuwait before the invasion and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made a statement to that effect before Parliament.

BA has always maintained that it had no knowledge of the impending invasion of Kuwait and that it would never put its aircraft, passengers and crews at risk. No passenger list has ever been released for the flight.

A number of passengers sued BA in different jurisdictions. The airline settled cases brought in the US out of court, citing the cost of litigation. Passengers from France sued the airline and the courts found BA to be negligent and passengers were paid substantial damages. In the UK, attempts to bring the matter to court have been unsuccessful there has been no public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the flight.

Continue reading “British Airways’ Most Memorable Boeing 747 Flights”

The Queen Of The Skies Ends Its Reign

Our series on the story of the Boeing 747 at BA continues with its abrupt and unplanned retirement in 2020.

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British Airways Boeing 747-436 Aircraft
British Airways Boeing 747-436 Aircraft (Image Credit: British Airways)

Had 2020 gone to plan, around 25 BA Boeing 747 aircraft would now be despatching passengers between London Heathrow and numerous destinations around the world.

Those seeking Christmas in New York or winter sun in Cape Town, heading for the alternative reality of Las Vegas, or skiing in Colorado or Whistler via BA would have been carried on a 747.

Some may have complained about ageing interiors or antiquated inflight entertainment systems on certain aircraft. Those sat on the Upper Deck or in the nose of the 747 would have sat comfortably knowing they had at least another three years to enjoy their favourite seats in the house.

Events, as we know, took a very different course in 2020. 31 Boeing 747s met an abrupt and undignified end, save for four that will be preserved at Dunsfold Aerodrome, Kemble Airport and Bro Tathan Business Park, Glamorgan.

It’s not the first time unforeseen events have had an impact on BA’s 747 fleet.

After the events of 11 September 2001, BA’s 747-236 aircraft followed the 747-136 fleet into retirement. 747s at Gatwick were transferred to Heathrow as the airline switched routes to Africa and Central & South America to the airport.

The 57 747-436 aircraft that remained at Heathrow were still the flagship of the long-haul fleet. They were the first to benefit from refreshed First Class, new Club World, and new World Traveller Plus and World Traveller cabins.

BA Club World IFE Screen
BA Club World 2006 (Image Credit: British Airways)
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BA’s Grand 747 Ambitions For The 1980s and 1990s

Our series on the story of the Boeing 747 at BA continues with its grand ambitions for the 747 in the 1980s and 1990s.

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British Airways Boeing 747-400 Aircraft
British Airways Boeing 747-436 Aircraft (Image Credit: British Airways)

Welcome to part three of our seven part series on the story of the Boeing 747 at BA.

In part one we looked at the introduction of the aircraft at BOAC, and in part two the rapid expansion of the 747 network in the 1970s.

The 1980s was a decade of significant change for the airline, under the leadership of Lord King and Colin Marshall. Its corporate identity was revamped ahead of its privatisation in 1987.

In the early 1980s, the airline urgently needed to cut costs. Two Boeing 747-136 aircraft were sold to TWA in 1981. Four new Boeing 747-236 were placed into storage, with two ultimately sold to Malaysian Airlines.

That said, there was continued evolution in the Boeing 747 fleet from the early 1980s.

“The Widest Way To The USA”

One benefit of the Boeing 747 for passengers was that it allowed airlines to introduce new cabins beyond economy and First Class.

After introducing Executive and Club Class for full fare economy passengers, in 1981 BA introduced a dedicated “Super Club” cabin with six abreast seating, dubbed the widest seat in the air.

This would later evolve in to Club World, dubbed the “profit engine” of BA, with the Boeing 747 aircraft being the first to benefit from many innovations and new seats.

British Airways Super Club, November 1981
British Airways Super Club, November 1981

“Get Down Under 3 Hours Quicker”

Modifications to engines also enabled improvements on longer range routes, with BA claiming in 1984 the fastest journey times to Australia, a claim previously made by Qantas.

British Airways Australia Advertisement, December 1984
British Airways Australia Advertisement, December 1984
Continue reading “BA’s Grand 747 Ambitions For The 1980s and 1990s”

“East, West, Our Jumbos Are Best”

Our seven part series on the history of the Boeing 747 at BA continues with the rapid expansion of its 747 network in the 1970s.

London Air Travel » British Airways » British Airways Boeing 747

British Airways Boeing 747-200 Aircraft Landor Livery
British Airways Boeing 747-236 Aircraft Landor Livery (Image Credit: British Airways)

Welcome to part two of our seven part series looking at the story of the Boeing 747 at BOAC and British Airways following its retirement in 2020.

In part one we looked at the introduction of the aircraft at BOAC, primarily on transatlantic routes. As BA continued to take delivery of more Boeing 747-136 aircraft, and longer range Boeing 747-236 aircraft, it continued to reach more destinations and cut journey times.

“East, West, Our Jumbos Are Best”

In the immediate years following the merger of BEA and BOAC, the 747 was touching all corners of BA’s global network.

New 747 network additions included Boston & Philadelphia, Kingston, Bermuda & Nassau, Tokyo via Anchorage (known as the Polar route) and Auckland.

British Airways Boeing 747 Superflights, March 1975
British Airways Boeing 747 Superflights, March 1975

“Wide Bodies All Over USA!”

By late 1975, BA served New York, Boston & Philadephia, Washington & Detroit and Miami with daily Boeing 747 services. Anchorage was served with a Boeing 747 three times a week.

The one exception in the United States was Los Angeles which was served by a DC10 aircraft. This was leased from Air New Zealand and was operated by BA crews between London Heathrow and Los Angeles, and by Air New Zealand from Los Angeles to Auckland.

British Airways, Boeing 747 USA Services Advertorial, 2 July 1975
British Airways, Boeing 747 USA Services Advertorial, 2 July 1975. Click here for a full PDF version.

In 1976, Barbados gained a non-stop Boeing 747 service with the aircraft continuing to Port of Spain, Trinidad.

At the same time, BA trialled an enhanced economy class service for full fare passengers on flights between London Heathrow and Hong Kong.

48 seats in Zone B of the aircraft were designated as an “Executive Cabin” with a free bar service and inflight entertainment.

British Airways, Boeing 747 Trinidad & Tobago Advertorial, 27 February 1976
British Airways, Boeing 747 Trinidad & Tobago Advertorial, 27 February 1976

“All-747 Service For Australia”

By the summer of 1976, BA had 18 Boeing 747-136 aircraft in its fleet. All services to Australia – Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydneywere operated with the Boeing 747.

However, multiple stops were still required en route. Only Perth had two stops en-route on some weekly flights. All other cities in Australia served by BA required at least three or four stops.

British Airways, Boeing 747 Australia Advertorial, 13 May 1976
British Airways, Boeing 747 Australia Advertorial, 13 May 1976

“A Touch Of Class For Executives”

After a successful trial on flights between London Heathrow and Hong Kong, the “Executive Cabin” was extended to all Boeing 747 flights in 1977, save for Chicago.

The main benefits were being first to receive the economy inflight service and early disembarkation from the aircraft. Being seated in the Executive cabin was not guaranteed – it could only be requested at the time of booking and passengers were advised to check-in early.

British Airways, Boeing 747 Club Class Advertorial, 27 May 1977
British Airways, Boeing 747 Club Class Advertorial, 27 May 1977
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“All The 747 Needed Was BOAC Service”

Welcome to our seven part series on the history of the Boeing 747 at BOAC and British Airways.

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BOAC Boeing 747-136 aircraft
BOAC Boeing 747-136 aircraft (Image Credit: British Airways)

“All the 747 needed was BOAC service.”

That was the promise of BOAC as it introduced the Boeing 747 in 1971.

It was a tacit admission the airline had been behind its competitors in introducing the aircraft into service.

It is an understatement to say the launch of the Boeing 747 at BOAC was troubled. It would, of course, become the backbone of its successor airline British Airways until its abrupt and undignified retirement in 2020.

Welcome to part one of a seven part series looking at the Boeing 747 at BOAC and BA.

The Boeing 747 At BOAC

BOAC placed its first order for six Boeing 747-136 aircraft in 1966, following government approval. This would soon to be increased to twelve aircraft.

Although BOAC took delivery of its first Boeing aircraft in May 1970, three aircraft sat idle at London Heathrow for a year due to dispute with its pilots over pay and productivity.

The delay was estimated to have cost BOAC upwards of £25,000 a day. Its transatlantic rivals Pan American World Airways and Trans World Airlines were already operating the Boeing 747 from London and were able to take advantage of rising passenger numbers between Europe and the US.

It did at least allow BOAC to learn of some of the teething troubles of Pan Am and TWA where some passengers complained of chaotic food and beverage service, malfunctioning inflight entertainment, long queues for bathrooms and extended waits for baggage on arrival.

The inaugural BOAC passenger flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK took place on 14 April 1971. Ahead the launch, BOAC opened its own dedicated terminal at New York JFK.

283 passengers were on board the aircraft, which had capacity for 300 passengers in tourist class and 50 passengers in First Class with 6 galleys and 12 bathrooms. At seat inflight entertainment consisted of 4 stereo and 3 mono channels of music. In common with other airlines, the Upper Deck featured a dedicated “Monarch” lounge for First Class passengers.

BOAC Boeing 747 Cabin Interior
BOAC Boeing 747 Cabin Interior (Image Credit: British Airways)
BOAC Boeing 747 Cabin Interior
BOAC Boeing 747 Cabin Interior (Image Credit: British Airways)

The launch of flights to New York JFK was not the end of BOAC’s industrial troubles as a dispute with engineers briefly grounded the aircraft again.

BOAC Boeing 747 Advertisement, April 1971
BOAC Boeing 747 Advertisement, April 1971

BOAC was keen to emphasis distinctive features unique to its Boeing 747 aircraft, such as its humification system. Other features claimed to be unique to BOAC included adjustable headrests and artwork on bulkheads.

BOAC Boeing 747 Advertisement, June 1971
BOAC Boeing 747 Advertisement, June 1971

After New York JFK, daily services to Montreal and Toronto followed on 12 July 1971. Economic pressures did however force BOAC to cancel orders for a further 4 Boeing 747 aircraft beyond its initial order of 12.

BOAC Boeing 747 Toronto & Montreal Advertisement, July 1971
BOAC Boeing 747 Toronto & Montreal Advertisement, July 1971

In November 1971, BOAC launched what it claimed was the first direct Boeing 747 service to Australia via Hong Kong and Darwin.

Continue reading ““All The 747 Needed Was BOAC Service””

BA Retires The Queen Of The Skies, The Boeing 747

British Airways plans to retire the Boeing 747 nearly five years earlier than planned, due to COVID-19.

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British Airways Boeing 747, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
British Airways Boeing 747, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Image Credit: British Airways)

British Airways is to retire the Boeing 747 with immediate effect.

At this stage it is officially a proposal, subject to consultation with trade unions. However, this appears to be a fait accompli as BA says the aircraft are likely to have flown their last scheduled commercial services.

This follows decisions by Qantas and Virgin Atlantic to immediately retire the aircraft due to COVID-19.

It is hard to overstate the impact the Boeing 747 had on civil aviation, BA, and what its early retirement will have on BA’s route network and profile of passenger traffic.

The Early Days Of The Boeing 747

Pan American World Airways, for whom the Boeing 747 aircraft was designed, was the first airline to operate passenger flights, from New York to London on 21 January 1970. 

It may seem strange to think now, but there were doubts as to whether airlines could fill the aircraft with passengers. There were concerns about the ability of airports to handle the aircraft, at the time the biggest passenger jet in service. Both London Heathrow and New York JFK had to implement makeshift arrangements to handle the aircraft. 

“All The 747 Needed Was BOAC Service.”

BOAC began passenger flights from London to New York on 14 April 1971 with the bold claim “All the 747 needed was BOAC service”.

BOAC Boeing 747-136 aircraft
BOAC Boeing 747-136 aircraft (Image Credit: British Airways)

It had been delayed by a year, partly due to an industrial dispute with its pilots. Prior to the launch of 747 services, BOAC opened its own dedicated terminal at New York JFK, today known as Terminal 7.

The 747 would be progressively added to many North American routes such as Chicago, Miami, Montreal, Toronto and Washington, as well as South Africa.

BOAC Boeing 747 Cabin Interior
BOAC Boeing 747 Cabin Interior (Image Credit: British Airways)
BOAC Boeing 747 Cabin Interior
BOAC Boeing 747 Cabin Interior (Image Credit: British Airways)
BOAC First Class Cabin, Boeing 747
BOAC First Class Cabin, Boeing 747 (Image Credit: British Airways)
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British Airways refurbishes more Boeing 747 aircraft

British Airways has begun to refurbish some of its 52 Club World seat Boeing 747 aircraft with new cabin interiors and in-flight entertainment systems.

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British Airways Club World Boeing 747 (Picture by: Stuart Bailey / British Airways)

The Boeing 747 is going to be a fixture at BA until February 2024.

At present, there are 36 aircraft in service, all at London Heathrow. However, there are very sharp differences between aircraft in the fleet.

Refurbished 86 Club World Seat Aircraft

18 of these aircraft operate with 86 Club World seats.

These regularly operate on routes such as Austin, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, Lagos, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Philadelphia and San Francisco. These were refurbished in 2015 with new carpets, seat covers, and cabin lighting.

British Airways Boeing 747 Club World IFE Screen (Image Credit: British Airways)

The in-flight entertainment system was replaced with new screens, a more responsive interface and more content, as well as USB power ports.

It is likely that these will be amongst the last be retired.

Non-Refurbished 52 Club World Seat Aircraft

Another 18 aircraft operate with 52 Club World seats, with the World Traveller Plus cabin positioned between First and Club World.

They regularly operate on routes such as Accra, Cape Town, Denver, Las Vegas, Miami, Nairobi, Phoenix and Vancouver. Many of these aircraft are expected to be retired over the next couple of years.

The state of these aircraft could not be more different. The World Traveller and World Traveller Plus cabins are nearly 20 years old. The last significant upgrade was the installation of an on demand in-flight entertainment system in 2006.

2018 Boeing 747 Refurbishment Programme

The refurbishment plans for the 52 Club World seat Boeing 747 aircraft are more ambiguous.

Some won’t be refurbished due to imminent retirement.

The last published fleet plan by BA’s parent company shows that 2 aircraft will be retired in 2018 and a further 3 in 2019.

Some aircraft have already had a minor “refresh” with a deep clean and new seat covers in World Traveller and World Traveller Plus, but no new in-flight entertainment system.

BA has however been planning to carry out a more substantial refurbishment to some aircraft.

The first aircraft to receive a full refurbishment, G-CIVO, was sent to BA’s maintenance base on Cardiff on 7 September 2018.

It returned to Heathrow on Thursday 11 October 2018 and is expected to enter service imminently.

It has been refurbished in line with the 86 Club World seat Boeing 747s with a new in-flight entertainment system with larger screens, new seat covers, carpets and cabin lighting. BA has not yet released press images of the refurbished aircraft. However, these are expected early next week.

It is not possible to predict exactly on which routes refurbished aircraft will operate. However, as non-refurbished aircraft are retired and those that remain are refurbished, the chances are greater.

An update on BA’s fleet plans is expected at the Capital Markets Day of its parent company International Airlines Group in November.

BA to increase Club World seats on some Boeing 747 aircraft

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BA Club World 2006
BA Club World Cabin – 2006 (Image Credit: British Airways)

Some time ago, we wrote of British Airways’ plans to refurbish 18 of its 40-odd fleet Boeing 747 aircraft. Full details of the refurbishment programme are here.

As part of this refurbishment programme, BA is to also reconfigure the capacity of its Club World business class cabin on these aircraft.

Currently, BA has two Club World configurations on the Boeing 747, with either 52 or 70 business class seats.

The former is a relatively unusual arrangement introduced just under ten years ago whereby World Traveller Plus premium economy is located between first and business class. Although many bawked at the idea at the time, it did allow BA to increase its business class capacity by 8%, which was roughly the entire business class capacity of Virgin Atlantic.

On 6 Boeing 747 aircraft the number of business class seats will be reduced from 70 to 52.

On the 18 aircraft earmarked for refurbishment the number of business class seats will increase from 70 to 86, with an additional two rows of Club World seats.

This means there will be 66 business class seats on the main deck (with the remaining 20 seats on the upper deck). This will make for a very large cabin, so it will be interesting to see how this works in practice.

The number of World Traveller economy seats will be reduced to accommodate the extra seats. The number of First class and World Traveller Plus premium economy seats will remain the same.

The new larger cabin is expected to operate on routes with high business class demand such as New York, Boston, Chicago and Lagos.

NB. We should add we receive a lot of search enquiries about the condition of BA’s Boeing 747 aircraft, so it’s clearly a very live issue for passengers.