For the first time in 45 years, a BOAC liveried aircraft will be flying the skies over Britain. On Monday, British Airways revealed a very special throwback livery on one of its 34 Boeing 747-400s. The aircraft, registered G-BYGC, was painted in the colors of British Overseas Airways Corporation.
Painting the giant Boeing 747-400 was no small task. The took almost two weeks to remove the standard British Airways colors and replace it with the special livery.
Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “The enormous interest we’ve had in this project demonstrates the attachment many people have to British Airways’ history. It’s something we are incredibly proud of, so in our centenary year it’s a pleasure to be celebrating our past while also looking to the future. We look forward to many more exciting moments like this as our other aircraft with heritage designs enter service.”
According to British Airways, “From the paint bay at Dublin Airport, the BOAC Boeing 747 flew directly to Heathrow on the aptly named BA100 touching down this morning. Its next flight will be tomorrow, Tuesday February 19, when it departs for New York JFK operating as flight BA117. This flight is particularly significant as it was the first route the B747 flew in BOAC colors.”
The livery is part of British Airways celebrating 100 years of airline service for British Airways and its predecessor airlines. British Airways will continue to fly this aircraft in the special livery until 2023 when the airline retires its 747-400 fleet. It will replace the Queen of the Skies with a combination of Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350 XWB long-haul jets.
