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British Airways will operate 52 long haul routes alongside its short haul network this November as the airline continues to adapt to changing restrictions around the globe as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Services will continue to operate to US gateways including New York JFK, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco, with Newark added to the schedule in late November. Flights to the Caribbean continue to destinations including Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia, and flights will operate to destinations across Africa, the Middle East and Asia such as Dubai, Mumbai, Hong Kong and Singapore. Flights to Santiago, and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, are also set to return.

British Airways will also continue to serve domestic destinations including Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Newquay. In continental Europe, cities like Paris, Munich, Geneva and Amsterdam, among others, will be connected to Heathrow by frequent, direct flights. There are also regular flights to beach destinations such as Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

As always, the operation of any flight is subject to changes, international restrictions and government approval.

British Airways has made this announcement:

In his first public appearance since being named British Airways’ new CEO last week, this morning (October 19, 2020) Sean Doyle gave the keynote address at Airlines 2050: Beyond the Crisis, telling the industry that British Airways continues to play a crucial part in connecting Britain with the world and the world with Britain and is doing everything in its power to emerge from this crisis. Mr Doyle said the airline believes the risk to public health of flying is low after the industry body IATA suggested that since the start of 2020 there have been as few as 44 cases of COVID-19 linked to flights. Over the same period some 1.2 billion passengers have travelled. Mr Doyle continued: “The safety of its customers and crew is always our priority, and we are taking every safety measure to keep our customers safe. This is a multi-faceted approach and includes minimising contact, sanitising our aircraft from nose to tail and asking customers and crew to wear face masks at all times, unless they have a medical exemption. In the cabin, air is completely replaced every 2 to 3 minutes, passing through HEPA filters which remove microscopic bacteria and virus clusters with over a 99.9 per cent efficiency, equivalent to hospital operating theatre standards.” And he confirmed that British Airways does not believe quarantine is the long-term solution, saying: “We believe the best way to reassure people is to introduce a reliable and affordable test before flying. For the UK this approach reduces the stress on NHS testing systems within the UK and on policing the quarantine system.” The full video of Sean Doyle’s keynote address can be downloaded here.

British Airways’ Alex Cruz has stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer.

Aer Lingus CEO Sean Doyle has replaced him.

BA is in the process of firing 13,000 staff members due to current COVID-19 crisis.

Read more from the BBC.

Despite cloudy weather, British Airways today bid farewell to its last two Boeing 747-400s at London’s Heathrow Airport. The airline issued this statement:

British Airways’ remaining two Boeing 747 aircraft based at Heathrow taxied for take off for the last time today.

To commemorate the occasion the airline’s two aircraft took to the skies one after the other from runway 27R. Once in the air, G-CIVY circled back over the southerly runway in an emotional farewell to its home before heading to St Athan where the aircraft will be retired.

G-CIVB, painted in the airline’s historic Negus livery and G-CIVY, in its current Chatham Dockyard livery, are going to be retiring in the UK at Kemble and St Athan, respectively. Between the two aircraft they have flown an impressive 104 million miles in their 47 years of service and carried millions of British Airways customers.

To express its gratitude to the millions of people who flew on the jets, British Airways is also offering a jumbo reduction on seven hundred and forty seven (747) Club World seats which will be on sale on ba.com for just £999 for the lucky customers that find them. The limited number of ultra-low fare seats are live now to popular destinations that the airline’s Queen of The Skies used to fly to which will include Miami, Dallas and Cape Town.

At 7:47am this morning, hundreds of aviation enthusiasts and customers flooded social media sharing their favourite 747 memories using #BA747farewell.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO said, “Today was an emotional milestone in the retirement of our 747 fleet as it was our last chance to see the Queen of the Skies depart from our home at Heathrow airport. The 747s have played a huge role in our 100-year history, forming the backbone of our fleet for over 50 years. I know I speak for our customers and the many thousands of colleagues who have spent much of their careers alongside them when I say we will miss seeing them grace our skies.”

In July, British Airways announced that its remaining 747s had sadly flown their last commercial services as a result of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the airline and the aviation sector. The fleet is being replaced by quieter more fuel efficient aircraft as part of the airline’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

British Airways expects the last 747s (currently positioned in Wales) to leave the fleet by the end of the year.

British Airways 747 G-CIVB

British Airways 747 G-CIVY

Facts and stats:

• Boeing has been manufacturing 747 aircraft for more than 50 years
• BOAC flew its first 747 flight on 14th April 1971
• British Airways took delivery of its first 747-400 in July 1989 and its last in April 1999
• At its height, the airline had a fleet of 57 747-400s
• British Airways was the world’s biggest operator of 747-400 aircraft
• The 747-400 has 6ft high winglets on the tips of its wings to improve efficiency
• It has 16 main wheels and two landing nose wheels
• The wings of a 747-400 span 213ft and are big enough to accommodate 50 parked cars
• The tail height of 64ft is equivalent to a six-storey building
• The 747-400 is 231ft longAbout British Airways’ retro liveries:

  Last year to mark its centenary British Airways re-painted three of its jumbo jets in heritage colours donning it’s historic BOAC, Negus and Landor livery The BOAC jet put in a guest appearance with the Red Arrows much to the delight of spectators at the Royal International Air Tattoo.

  British Airways aircraft photo gallery (Boeing):

  
  

British Airways has made this announcement:

• British Airways’ last Heathrow based 747s will retire on the morning of Thursday, October 8, 2020
• Social media users are invited to share their memories of the aircraft at 7.47am and 7.47pm on Thursday to mark the occasion using #BA747farewell
• The retirement of the airline’s fleet of 747-400 was brought forward as a result of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the airline and the aviation sector, which is not predicted to recover to 2019 levels until 2023/24

British Airways has announced that its final two Heathrow based Boeing 747 aircraft are scheduled to depart from the airport for the very last time tomorrow morning (Thursday, October 8). One aircraft is painted in its heritage ‘Negus’ livery and the other in its current Chatham Dockyard livery.

Thousands of British Airways flight crew, cabin crew and engineering teams have worked over several decades on and with the aircraft during their time at British Airways during a period when they represented the heart of the airline’s long-haul fleet.

To commemorate G-CIVB and G-CIVY’s final take-off from the airport at 08:30am, the airline has arranged a special send off with a unique and rarely seen synchronised dual take off on parallel runways*, which will be followed by fly past along the southerly runway by one of the aircraft (G-CIVY in current BA livery) as it bids its home a final farewell.

Celebrating the occasion in a virtual way to keep spectators safe, the airline will be live streaming moments from the departure on its Facebook page and is also inviting its colleagues, aviation enthusiasts and customers to share any special memories or photos of British Airways’ 747s on social media channels at 7:47am and 7.47pm on their departure day using the hashtag #BA747farewell.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said “Tomorrow will be a difficult day for everybody at British Airways as the aircraft leaves our home at Heathrow for the very last time. We will pay tribute to them for the incredible part they have played in our 100-year history and to the millions of customers and BA colleagues who have flown on board and taken care of them.

“We hope that Britain will join us in sharing their memories with us on social media at 7:47am and 7.47pm on Thursday using #BA747farewell.”

British Airways has made this announcement:

British Airways is increasing the number of destinations it serves with a larger timetable of flights for its customers.

From today, long haul services will begin to Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Bahrain. Flights to winter sun favourite Grenada are scheduled to return on 14 October while flights to the Seychelles are scheduled to return on 16 October.

Lahore, a new addition to British Airways’ route network, begins on 12 October while new Heathrow services to the Maldives and Barbados launch on 16 and 17 October respectively.

Looking at short haul, Brussels, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Gothenburg, Milan Linate, Stuttgart, Seville and Valencia return today. Bilbao, Kefalonia and Luxembourg return tomorrow and Lanzarote returns on Saturday. Later in the month, services will resume to destinations including, Gran Canaria, Billund, Bordeaux, Basel, Brindisi, Cologne, Malta, Salzburg, Vienna and Zagreb.

Flights start from just £24 each way to Europe and low prices can be found here. British Airways Holidays also has a series of tempting packages available, more details are at the end of the release.

Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Network and Alliances, said: “We’re glad to be returning to more destinations this month, connecting the UK with more and more countries around the world. With increases in both long and short haul services, there is a destination for anyone, and with our enhanced safety measures we hope this encourages people to start planning their next getaway.”

As always, the operation of any flights is subject to international restrictions and government approval.

Customers can travel in absolute confidence knowing that safety is at the heart of British Airways’ business. The airline has introduced a range of measures, which it requires customers and crew abide by. These include:

• checking-in online, downloading their boarding pass and where possible self-scanning their boarding passes at the departure gate where possible
• observing social distancing and using hand sanitisers that are placed throughout airports
• wearing a facemask at all times and bringing enough to replace them every four hours for longer flights
• asking customers not to travel if they think they have any symptoms of Covid-19
• cabin crew wearing PPE and a new food service, which reduces the number of interactions required with customers
• asking customers to ensure they have everything they need from their hand luggage before departure, and where possible, storing their carry-on bag under the seat in front of them
• providing customers with a personal protection pack including a sealable disposal bag, hand sanitising gel and an antibacterial wipe.

The airline is cleaning all key surfaces including seats, screens, seat buckles and tray tables after every flight and each aircraft is completely cleaned from nose to tail every day. The air on all British Airways flights is fully recycled once every two to three minutes through HEPA filters, which remove microscopic bacteria and virus clusters with over 99.9% efficiency, equivalent to hospital operating theatre standards.

British Airways aircraft photo gallery (Airbus):

Bermuda Tourism Authority has issued this statement:

Direct air service to Bermuda will originate from London Heathrow beginning March 28, 2021 announced jointly today by the Bermuda Ministry of Transport and British Airways (BA).  Tickets are now on sale, with return fares from as low as $876 USD.

This new service, operating a minimum of four times weekly and much as daily, will open a wide and diverse range of flight connections for those travelling to and from Bermuda. While current demand for flights to Bermuda emanates mainly from the UK, Heathrow flights have the potential to stimulate significantly greater demand from the rest of the world, particularly European cities.

The flights will depart from Bermuda from the new airport terminal scheduled to open in December 2020 at 20:10, landing at London Heathrow at 06:55 the next day. The route will be operated by a Boeing 777-200, which will soon feature the airline’s new Club Suite offering direct-aisle access, a suite door for greater privacy and luxurious flat-bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.

British Airways aircraft photo gallery:

(Photo by Nick Morrish/British Airways)

British Airways has today announced it will begin flying from Heathrow to Lahore, Pakistan, four times a week from October 12, 2020.

The ‘City of Gardens’, Lahore, is known for its rich culture and will be the second city in Pakistan that British Airways will operate to, following the relaunch of services to Islamabad.

Flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners departing from Heathrow Terminal 5, landing into Lahore’s International Airport.

In response to COVID-19, British Airways has introduced a range of measures to keep its customers safe. Prior to travel, they will receive information on changes at their airport and onboard experience and tips on how to prepare for their journey. Customers will also be asked to help manage the wellness of everyone travelling by:

• Checking-in online, downloading their boarding pass and where possible self-scanning their boarding passes at the departure gate.
• Observing social distancing and using hand sanitisers that are placed throughout airports.
• Using new contactless, automated features at our lounges, including a new online food and drink service.
• Wearing a facemask at all times and bringing enough to replace them every four hours for longer flights.
• Ensuring they have everything they need from their hand luggage before departure, and where possible, storing their carry-on bag under the seat in front of them.
• Not travelling if they think they have any symptoms of Covid-19.

On board, all cabin crew will wear PPE and a new food service has been introduced which reduces the number of interactions required with customers. Surfaces including seats, screens, seat buckles and tray tables will be cleaned after every flight and each aircraft is completely cleaned from nose to tail every day.

The air on all British Airways flights is fully recycled once every two to three minutes through HEPA filters, which remove microscopic bacteria and virus clusters with over 99.9% efficiency, equivalent to hospital operating theatre standards.