British Airways’ long farewell to the Boeing 747-400 jumbo

BA is retiring the Boeing 747-400. However, it will still have a presence at London Heathrow for many years to come.

On 11 August 2014, flight BA78 arrived at London Heathrow from Accra in Ghana. For the aircraft operating the route, a Boeing 747-400 (registration G-BNLI), this was its last passenger flight after more than 24 years’ service at the airline (Source: The BA Source.)

G-BNLI is the 11th 747 to be withdrawn from service at BA. This marks a continuation of a process that started some five years ago.

The 747s were initially withdrawn in response to the financial crisis, but more recently to be replaced by more efficient Boeing 777-300s and Airbus A380s which have seen the BA 747 removed from routes such as London Heathrow to Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Sydney.

Continue reading “British Airways’ long farewell to the Boeing 747-400 jumbo”

Virgin Atlantic launches new Vivienne Westwood designed staff uniforms in London with Blondie

Virgin Atlantic officially launched its new Vivienne Westwood uniform collection for Virgin Atlantic pilots, cabin crew and ground staff at the Village Underground in London on 1 July.

The uniforms have been “road tested” by Virgin Atlantic staff for some months and feature sharp cuts and a tailored British look that is particularly flattering to slimmer frames.

The event featured a public appearance by Sir Richard Branson, Vivienne Westwood and a performance by Blondie.

Guests included Tallulah Harlech, Laura Bailey, Jade Parfitt, Mary Charteris, Kelis, Jasmine Guiness, and Matt Smith.

Embed from Getty Images

Continue reading “Virgin Atlantic launches new Vivienne Westwood designed staff uniforms in London with Blondie”

Richard Wilson’s “Slipstream” sculpture is unveiled at London Heathrow Terminal 2 “The Queen’s Terminal”

Richard Wilson’s new artwork ‘Slipstream’ was unveiled at Terminal 2 of Heathrow airport on today. The aluminum sculpture is suspended 18 metres above the ground, weighs 77 tonnes and is 78 metres in length. It is inspired by the flight path of a stunt plane. The sculpture was commissioned by the consultancy FutureCity.

Terminal 2 opens on Wednesday 4 June and will be officially opened by The Queen on Monday 23 June.

Embed from Getty Images

Continue reading “Richard Wilson’s “Slipstream” sculpture is unveiled at London Heathrow Terminal 2 “The Queen’s Terminal””