British Airways is celebrating 100 years of flying this year, and given the environment, we live in, 100 years of flying is a huge deal. As a part of these, British Airways is reliving with their history by repainting some of its aircraft in British Airways Retro Livery (yes!). We already saw a Boeing 747-400 (G-BYGC) being unveiled in a stunning BOAC livery earlier this week. British Airways followed it up by announcing a retro BEA livery on an A319 which will debut this month.
British Airways’ Heritage livery BOAC on a 747
Today, British Airways has confirmed that they will repaint a 26-year-old Boeing 747, G-BNLY in a heritage Landor Livery. G-BNLY is the second oldest aircraft in the British Airways fleet. Most of us have been looking forward to the Landor livery since the day British Airways announced that they would paint four aircraft in retro liveries to celebrate their centennial year of flying.
Landor Livery
G-BNLY entered the IAC paint bay at Dublin Airport earlier this week the same place where G-BYGC was repainted in the stunning BOAC livery last month. The Boeing 747 (G-BNLY) will be repainted with the Landor livery and will return to service this month. Given that it took two weeks to repaint G-BYGC, expect G-BNLY to take the same amount of time.
British Airways describes is as,
Design features include the British Airways coat of arms with the motto To Fly. To Serve. on the tail fin, with a stylised section of the Union Flag. It will also be re-named ‘City of Swansea’, the name the aircraft had when it originally sported the Landor livery. The livery also features the airlines’ centenary logo, which is proudly displayed on all the centenary heritage liveried aircraft.
British Airways’ Heritage Landor Livery on a 747
The Landor livery adorned the British Airways fleet from 1984-1997. Like earlier two retro liveries, G-BNLY will carry the Landor livery till its retirement in 2023, by then it will be 30 years old. The Boeing 747s in British Airways fleet will be replaced by the recently ordered 42 Boeing 777X aircraft.
According to Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO,
Today’s announcement follows the exciting arrival of our BOAC 747 aircraft and the upcoming unveiling of an A319 in BEA colours. The passion and pride we’ve seen for our heritage liveries so far, from both customers and colleagues, has been both phenomenal and humbling. We’re really thrilled to announce Landor as the latest iconic scheme to join the fleet as part of our centenary celebrations and we’re sure this excitement will be reflected around the world.
While I expected British Airways would repaint a Boeing 777-200ER with the Landor Livery, there is nothing like the Queen of the Skies. Sadly for Avgeeks in India, British Airways doesn’t operate a Boeing 747 service on any Indian routes currently. Wish they would repaint the final yet to be disclosed livery on a Boeing 777, so we can catch her here in India.
Great to see the repaints, would be much appreciated for a heads up on the arrival time/date of G-BNLY, many thanks.