British Airways retires 747 fleet early

British Airways will retire its entire 747 jumbo jet fleet with immediate effect.

Thursday's (July 16) announcement came after air travel went into freefall this year.

BA - the world's largest operator of Boeing 747s - had planned to retire the aircraft in 2024.

But the decision was sped-up as passenger numbers collapsed in 2020 due to the new virus.

Forecasts say a recovery is likely years away.

BA, therefore, said its unlikely 747s would ever operate commercially for it again.

The so-called 'Queen of the Skies' democratized global air travel in the 1970s, and celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

More recently the four-engine aircraft fell behind newer twin-engine planes for fuel efficiency.

That made it expensive to run.

In a statement, IAG-owned BA said going forward they would operate more fuel-efficient aircraft like A350s and 787s.

The retirement of the 747s marks the latest virus-related concern for BA.

The airline said earlier this year it needs to cut up to 12,000 jobs - or about 28% of its workforce - to prepare for the smaller travel market expected over the coming years.