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  British Airways

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  BA/BAW

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport

  Year Founded:

  1974

  Alliance:

  oneworld

  Airline Group:

  IAG

  CEO:

  Sean Doyle

  Country:

  United Kingdom

In 2020, British Airways revealed that it would be retiring its Boeing 747 fleet with immediate effect, several years ahead of its pre-pandemic plan. The airline went into the pandemic with 31 Boeing 747-400 aircraft remaining in its fleet, but what happened to each plane? Using data sourced from ch-aviation.com and FlightRadar24.com, Simple Flying decided to find out.

6 Dunsfold - England

Two sites took just two of British Airways' remaining Boeing 747s since the pandemic, and both are in the United Kingdom. The first is Dunsfold, known for hosting the UK TV show Top Gear. While most sites received Boeing 747s with the intent to scrap them, this wasn't the case in Dunsfold. They have placed on exhibition at the site, which they share with a former British Airways Boeing 747-200. However, they are also available as film and TV filming sets.

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5 Newquay - England

One place you may not expect to find a former British Airways Boeing 747 is Cornwall's Newquay. However, the airport took in two from Britsh Airways once it had confirmed the type's retirement. Unlike at Dunsfold, the two jets in Newquay are no more, having both been scrapped.

4 Castellon - Spain

Castellon-Costa Azahar Airport is one of the few sites outside of the UK that received British Airways Boeing 747 aircraft after the pandemic. The British flag carrier ferried three aircraft wearing the airline's current Chatham Dockyard livery to the site in the east of Spain. Here, eCube is dismantling aircraft, though five Ukrainian Boeing 737s arrived at the facility for storage in mid-February. On November 23rd, 2020, G-CIVD caught fire while being dismantled at the facility. It is thought that a spark ignited the aircraft's insulation.

3 Teruel - Spain

Teruel is a Spanish aircraft storage and dismantling facility in the country's northeast. The facility has become known as the final destination for many quad jets, including A340s, A380s, and Boeing 747s. In early April, British Airways flew five of its 747s to Teruel at the time for storage. The airline also flew three Airbus A380s down for storage. While the A380s have since left storage, the Boeing 747s haven't been so lucky. One of the five Boeing 747s was already withdrawn from use in February 2020, so it isn't included in the figure of 31 747s retired early due to the pandemic.

2 Kemble - England

Most of the Boeing 747s still in the British Airways fleet at the start of the pandemic remained in the United Kingdom. The majority of these have been scrapped, and many that haven't are awaiting such an appointment. After the airline removed the fleet from service, Kemble, otherwise known as Cotswold Airport, began receiving a large batch of 747s in April and took nine aircraft. This includes G-CIVB, the airline's Negus retrojet, which has been preserved at the facility.

1 St Athan - Wales

The site that took in the most British Airways Boeing 747s is St Athan, Wales, just a stone's throw away from the airline's Cardiff heavy maintenance base. 11 aircraft were flown here, with some making a very short hop from Cardiff. Some of these have taken on second lives as keyrings. G-BYGC is also here, but it is one of the few 747s that will be spared the scrap heap. British Airways painted three 747s in retro liveries to celebrate its 100th anniversary a few years ago, and each, along with one wearing the current British Airways livery, was saved. St Athans now homes the Boeing 747 wearing the BOAC livery, the first livery to adorn a "British Airways" Boeing 747 around 50 years ago.

Where did you last see a British Airways Boeing 747? Let us know in the comments!

Sources: ch-aviation.com, FlightRadar24