The jumbo jets left the west London airport shortly after 8.35am yesterday as almost 20,000 people watched a live stream of the event on Facebook. The airline brought forward the retirement of its fleet of 747-400 aircraft because of the impact of Covid-19 on the aviation sector.
The fleet was known by British Airways as Queen of the Skies.
BA once boasted the world’s largest fleet of the 747-400 model with 31 aircraft.
The G-CIVB and G-CIVY 747 models had been due to perform a synchronised dual take-off on parallel runways, but instead departed from the same runway separately.
BA said the G-CIVB model entered service in February 1994 and had flown 59 million miles, while G-CIVY had clocked up 45 million miles having first taken to the skies in September 1998.
The two aircraft will be flying to Kemble, Glos, and St Athan airfield in south Wales, the airline said.
The 747 fleet is to be replaced by quieter, more fuel-efficient aircraft as part of BA’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
