The last two Heathrow-based Boeing 747 planes, owned by national flag carrier British Airways, have made their final flights, according to the Evening Standard.
The aircraft took off at 8:30 on Thursday morning and performed a rare synchronised dual take-off from parallel runways.
The retirement of the 747-400, one of the most profitable aircraft ever produced by Seattle-based Boeing, was brought forward due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry.
British Airways, who referred to the 747 as The Queen of the Skies, once had the world’s largest fleet of 747-400s with 31 aircraft.
Launched in 1969, the aircraft presented a new way to travel, as it was the first ever jumbo jet and had a capacity of 550 passengers, considerably larger than other airliners at the time.
The fleet of 747s is to be replaced by quieter and more fuel efficient aircraft, which is part of British Airways’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Image credit: Press Association/Evening Standard
