The iconic Boeing 747 is disappearing from the British Airways fleet after 49 storied years as the pandemic thrashes the airline industry

• British Airways will retire its iconic Boeing 747 fleet effective immediately.
• British Airways had been slowly phasing the plane type out. The carrier has also invested millions in a project to modernize the cabins of its remaining 31 aircraft.
• However, the collapse in air travel demand due to the coronavirus pandemic led the airline to retire the older, less-efficient airplane sooner in favor of newer models.

British Airways announced that it will retire its iconic fleet of Boeing 747 aircraft, a surprise development as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc on air travel demand.

The UK flagship carrier will retire all 31 of its remaining 747-400s over the next few months, according to the airline.

British Airways has used the 747 as a staple of its long-haul fleet for decades, as well as on high-demand or premium routes such as London to New York. In recent years, the plane type has flown from London to cities including Miami, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Cape Town, Mumbai, Accra, Dubai, and more.

Although British Airways was already in the process of slowly phasing out the plane, the airline said that it was moving up the retirement due to the collapse in travel demand during the pandemic, with demand not expected to recover to 2019 levels for at least three years.

The Boeing 747, sometimes referred to as "the queen of the skies," ushered in a new era of global connectivity and air travel prestige when it was introduced in 1969 with Pan Am. It also helped democratize long-haul travel, making it more affordable and accessible for more people.

The original wide-body, the double-decker was the first true "jumbo jet." Many airlines used the planes' upper deck as a bar or lounge for first class passengers, though most eventually shifted towards installing passenger seating on the upper decks.

However, many airlines have retired their 747 fleets in recent years. Even the newest variant of the plane — the 747-8 — uses four engines and is significantly less fuel efficient than newer twin-engined airframes.

For British Airways, each of its remaining 747-400s is at least 21 years old, according to FlightRadar24. Older planes often require more mostly maintenance. British Airways said it will focus on its more efficient Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 fleets, although the airline still operates several double-decked A380 aircraft as well.

British Airways' predecessor, British Overseas Airways Corporation, or BOAC, received its first 747 in 1971. The airline's first flight with the new plane, from London to New York, took place on April 14 of that year. The airline received its first of the current variant, the 747-400, in 1989.

The airline operated as many as 57 of the -400 at one point. Each plane was equipped to carry between 319-345 passengers, depending on the cabin configuration. The airline recently completed a multi-million dollar refurbishment of the aircraft's interiors. In 2019, to mark the airline's 100th anniversary, British Airways painted four of the jets in heritage liveries, part of a tribute to older airlines that merged and were acquired to create the current carrier.