I have so many bad stories I could cover this afternoon, but after a trio of bad stories earlier today let’s take a break. How about some good news to end the day on?
British Airways is celebrating its 100th birthday by repainting one of its Boeing 747-400s in a classic BOAC livery.
A British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC)-liveried 747 (registration G-BYGC) will enter into service on February 18, 2019. Imperial Airways and British Airways were nationalized and consolidated into BOAC in 1939. Meanwhile, British European Airways (BEA) was created in 1946 for domestic and European flights. BOAC and BEA merged to form British Airways in 1974.
The selected livery marked BOAC livery from 1964 – 1974. The paint job also recognizes the 50th anniversary of the 747 program. The special livery will remain in service until the 747 is retired in 2023.
BA hints that other classic liveries will be introduced in the weeks to come. New aircraft, including incoming A350s, will continue to receive BA’s Chatham Dockyard design, first introduced in 1997.
CONCLUSION
As a big fan of heritage liveries, I think this is great news. BA has a storied past and this special paint job will serve as reminder of that.
CEO Alex Cruz said it best:
Our history has shaped who we are today, so our centenary is the perfect moment to revisit our heritage and the UK’s aviation landscape through this iconic livery.
Love, love, love the classic speedbird logo. I wish BA would keep it & ditch that damn ribbon thingy.
Retro livery seems fitting, considering their retro seats in business class!
I completely concur with @Imperator’s comment. I LOVE the classic BOAC speed bird livery. The unique navy color is so elegant and the speed bird iconic. This should be brought back for BA fleetwide!
It looks lovely, although the tail rather resembles Cathay at a quick glance. Now if only they would do something to improve the actual flying comfort for economy passengers. I know, I know, fat chance.
Agee with the commenters above, so happy to see the classic Speedbird livery flying again! It’s gonna be a beautiful plane. I do wish BA would replace the ribbon, which has always been a bit odd to me.
Now if they would only bring back the Landor livery from the 80s (and paint the whole fleet with it)….
Agree with the other comments: I dislike the ribbon as well; it reminds of an upside-down Nike Swoosh!
So glad to see how whether it’s for showcasing an airline’s proud legacy and history via a “retro look” livery (as Lufthansa, and now BA, are doing; or unveiling an entirely new “look” of the now and future as Lufthansa also did last year) that as much as she’s fallen into disfavor in recent years, and of all the many and varied aircraft models that both Lufthansa and British Airways have in their respective fleets, that when it comes to putting their best foot/branding imagery forward, and strutting their best possible “look” to be better ensure being prominently displayed in newspapers, magazines and digital media, that yet again, nothing comes even remotely close to “Her Majesty the Queen” – Boeing’s one, only and incomparable 747!
Yeah, that’s right – it’s hard to overlook the fact that instead of the many boring, ho-hum planes in either airlines’ fleets by either “A” or “B” including those atrocious densified beasts that “B” claims are their latest and greatest models as that company murders the majestic “Queen” to more quickly pay down the $30 billion cost overruns for one model it calls a “dream” – but is so NOT a dream for those poor, unfortunate souls packed cheek by jowl into its itty, bitty, way too narrow, no legroom (chicken coop sized) seats, or another equally squalid model that for decades had just nine seats abreast in Economy, but now, and despite having a fuselage 9” narrower than a 747, also crams itty, bitty, way too narrow, no legroom (chicken coop sized) seats, or the “ugly ducking” made by “A” nicknamed the whale by some, yet again, it’s none other than the “Queen” herself that gets called upon to showcase the airlines at their best!
Too bad this doesn’t apply to the vast majority of Economy class passengers whom despite being absolutely indespensible for any airline to exist (I mean just how many “all premium class” airlines and/or routes are there that are successful and sustainable over the long haul?!?!) are yet still treated like dog crap and are expected to crowd into teesny, weensy, itty, bitty, tiny, hard as cement blocks, way too narrow (chicken coop sized) seats that are densely packed into 31” pitch, no legroom rows aboard aircraft with one too many seats row in that company’s sadistic, and abusive, misery class aboard planes far more inferior for them than a 747!
In any event, let’s all celebrate this, and Lufthansa’s gorgeous retro jets while they’re around to enjoy as we’ll surely miss these glorious “Queen’s” that are dressed to impress with their retro (and future) looks when they’re gone and all that’s left to fly are those boring, banal, anything but pretty to look at, ho-hum (and overcrowded/densified) planes that will be leftover (or is that are “leftovers”?) after the last of Boeing’s beloved “Queen’s” are gone… 🙁
Long Live the Queen!
If only they’d fly this bird in from Miami Beach…