(Reuters) – British Airways, the world’s major operator of Boeing 747, claimed late Thursday it would retire its entire jumbo jet fleet with instant influence due to the downturn in travel marketplace triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
FILE Image: A British Airways Boeing 747-400 taxis at San Francisco Worldwide Airport, San Francisco, California, February 14, 2015. REUTERS/Louis Nastro
World-wide curbs imposed to stem the unfold of the virus led to a turbulence in air journey, inserting the future of many airline companies in question.
“It is not likely our impressive ‘queen of the skies’ will ever function industrial solutions for British Airways once again,” the corporation said in a assertion.
BA, which is owned by Worldwide Consolidated Airlines Group (ICAG.L), additional that it will function extra flights on modern-day, fuel-productive plane this sort of as its new A350s and 787s and expects such aircraft to support in reaching web-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
A wave of restructuring activated by the virus outbreak is hitting airways and industrial corporations across the entire world.
The Sun documented last month that BA had achieved an settlement with its pilots to sack 350 and one more 300 in ‘pool’ for rehiring when wanted.
The greater part of pilots staying ‘pooled’ were expected to be the jumbo jet initially officers, in accordance to the report.
Boeing Co’s (BA.N) 747, a aircraft that democratized global air journey in the 1970s but fell driving modern-day twin-motor aircraft, marked its 50-year traveling anniversary in February 2019.
The U.S.-based aerospace company and its suppliers signalled the stop of the airplane, when they established the ultimate selection of elements it would will need for the 747 jumbo jet software at least a year ago.
Even so, the conclusion was still left in limbo for yrs amid slipping orders and pricing stress.
Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips
