With travel brought to a standstill by the pandemic, British Airways had a difficult choice: bid farewell to its Boeing 747 fleet. Although hearing about significant alterations within airlines has become quite the norm, no one truly anticipated the next chapter; these queens of the sky would later dot the postcard-perfect Cotswolds landscape.
Surprisingly, they now lie serenely at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire, presenting an arresting juxtaposition amid timeless rural vistas – footage of this can be seen on X. Yet this aeroplane haven isn’t merely for decommissioning; one particular aircraft, affectionately termed Negus and much admired by aviation buffs, has been repurposed into a unique venue for gatherings.
This plane is part of a trio the carrier repainted in vintage livery commemorating BA’s illustrious past, marking its centenary, a mere year prior to pulling the plug on its fleet of 31 jumbos. Negus touched down at Cotswold Airport back in October 2020 and underwent some major changes, including rewiring to support mains electricity and fitting an audiovisual system tailored for hosting events.
A snapshot shared illustrates just how many British Airways 747s are now residents at Cotswold Airport in England. Representatives from Cotswold Airport disclosed: “Work began upon her arrival at Cotswold Airport to transform the Economy cabin (World Traveler) into an exclusive events space, complete with Chauvet and L’acoustic products.”
“The transformation process was a long journey, but the hard work paid off. We now have a spectacular, versatile venue where we are able to host a wide variety of events ranging from weddings to corporate events,” reports the Express.
BA announced its retirement back in 2020: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect.”
“It is unlikely our magnificent ‘queen of the skies’ will ever operate commercial services for British Airways again due to the downturn in travel caused by the Covid-19 global pandemic.”
“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, to help us achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
Aviation consultant John Strickland told PA news agency: “The US market doesn’t really exist at the moment. That’s where BA substantially deploys its 747 fleet.”
“Without the US peak summer programme operating and with winter being leaner, it was already looking like this fleet was going to be on the ground for quite some time.”
The 747-400s of British Airways can accommodate up to 345 passengers and are capable of reaching a maximum speed of 614mph.