British Airways is retiring its entire Boeing 747 fleet.
BA is the world’s largest operator of the iconic jumbo jets.
“It is with great sadness that we can confirm we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect,” the airline said in a statement Thursday.
The move is a result of a downturn in passengers due to travel restrictions imposed by governments in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The airline had planned to retire the 747s in 2024, but the effects of pandemic hastened the jets’ demise at BA.
“While the aircraft will always have a special place in our heart, as we head into the future we will be operating more flights on modern, fuel-efficient aircraft such as our new A350s and 787s,” BA said.
The entire airline industry has been hard hit by the worldwide pandemic and the resulting travel restrictions.
