British Airways to Paint Retro Livery Boeing 747-400s

A Boeing 747 long-range wide-body four engined commercial jet airliner for the BOAC – British Overseas Airways Corporation flying above the United Kingdom on 7 April 1971. (Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images).

British Airways is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019 and is planning all sorts of special events and occasions.

One special event this year will be the delivery of the airline’s first Airbus A350, ushering in a new age in its long-haul fleet.

And now, the airline has confirmed that it will be painting one of its Boeing 747-400 aircraft, G-BYGC, in the retro livery of BOAC soon.

BOAC was the British Overseas Airways Corporation – one of the airlines merged to form the current British Airways in 1974. It was the first operator of the Boeing 747 in the UK.

The aircraft will leave the paint shop in Dublin and arrive in to Heathrow on February 18, before entering service the following day. This coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first Boeing 747 flight only a few days earlier.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “So many British Airways customers and colleagues have fond memories of our previous liveries, regularly sharing their photos from across the globe, so it’s incredibly exciting to be re-introducing this classic BOAC design.

“Our history has shaped who we are today, so our centenary is the perfect moment to revisit our heritage and the UK’s aviation landscape through this iconic livery.”

It is anticipated that other liveries from British Airways’ past will be painted on other Boeing 747-400s this year. Stay tuned and we’ll bring you the pictures!

The BOAC livery will remain on the Boeing 747 until it retires in 2023. By this time, British Airways will have retired the majority of its 747 fleet, replacing them with new state-of-the-art long-haul aircraft. This includes taking delivery of 18 A350s and 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the next four years – which feature new cabins and are more environmentally efficient – as well as another 26 short-haul aircraft, all part of the airline’s £6.5bn investment for customers.