“It is unlikely that our magnificent ‘queen of skies’ will again operate commercial services for British Airways due to the decrease in travel caused by the global covid-19 pandemic”, the company said in a statement.

In the note, the company highlights that the aircraft will always have “a special place in company’s “heart”, but underlined that the goal is to operate “flights with more modern aircraft and with low fuel consumption”, such as the new A350 and 787, that will help to “achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

British Airways, property of the Spanish-British group IAG, has used that Boeing model since 1989 and actually is the second biggest operator in the world of 747-400, the second version of the initial 747.

The company planned to withdraw circulation of 31 of their aircrafts by 2024, but the covid-19 pandemic accelerated the decision.

To deal with the covid-19 crisis, BA announced that plans to cut about 12.000 jobs and will start on 28 July to auction off part of its multi-million-dollar art collection.

Other UK airlines, such as easyJet and Virgin Atlantic, have also announced staff cuts and cutting operations.

The latest industry estimates suggest that passenger flow with take longer to go back to normal values than was expected.

The European subsidiary of the International Airport Council said it does not expect a recovery in passenger numbers until 2024.