10 | MANE AEROSPACE, DEFENCE & SPACE | APRIL 2019
In February British Airways revealed they would continue their centenary celebrations by revealing four planes which would be painted to represent the company’s history. BA started off by unveiling a plane which had been repainted with its original retro design. The Boeing 747 arrived at Heathrow airport featuring British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) livery – which had not been used for over forty years. The livery was originally used between 1964 and 1974 when the airline operated as BOAC. It will continue to sport this design until it is taken out of service in 2023.
The second design in its series of heritage liveries was an Airbus 319 which was painted in the colours of the airlines short-haul predecessor, British European Airways (BEA). This aircraft flew on domestic and European routes between 1959 and 1968. The design will remain on the aircraft until it retires next year.
The third design was unveiled last month, with it being a Boeing 747 painted in the iconic Landor design. The design adorned the British Airways fleet from 1984-1997. The design includes the British Airways coats of arms with the motto To Fly. To Serve. On the tail fin with a stylised section of the Union Flag. The livery also features the airlines’ centenary logo. The design will remain until the plane retires in 2023.
Lastly, the fourth and final heritage design was once again a Boeing 747. However this time, sporting the Negus design which was originally used on the BA fleet from 1974-1980.
The airlines centenary activity is taking place alongside the airline’s current five-year £6.5bn investment for customers which will include better Wi-Fi and power in every seat, new interiors and many more features.
With the last 100 years for British Airway’s being extremely successful, we are all looking forward to the next 100 years to see how the airline evolves as the Aerospace industry continues to develop.
Take a look at the arrival of the Negus 747 into Heathrow Airport: