BA to retire entire B747 fleet
Sep 26, 2020, 4:58 am
#1008
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Rugby, United Kingdom.
Programs: United Mileage Plus, Avios
Posts: 63
Is anything done to these before they leave Cardiff? Did they not mostly have half-decent Panasonic AVOD installed which presumably is removable and can be retrofitted to the 777s that need it? Or are they flown as withdrawn to meet their maker?
Sep 27, 2020, 6:11 am
#1010
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: EU
Posts: 454
As mentioned.
Indeed, there was an article on BBC Points West (the local news station for the area that GBA falls within) yesterday evening, with the reporter touring several 747s, including the recently arrived G-BYGB. He interviewed a chap from Air Salvage International, who noted that some aircraft (presumably the younger ones) may be converted to cargo aircraft.
Sep 27, 2020, 8:05 am
#1011
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 534
Just arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn and sadly the last two 747s have been moved out of the maintenance area around the back, caught a glimpse of VY over the opposite side on approach, couldn't see VB, Sad as I was hoping to have one last gawp at them.
Sep 27, 2020, 3:56 pm
#1013
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BRS
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,993
CIVB has moved into a hangar off of Vanguard Way, viewable when I was on the bus earlier going down the Eastern Perimeter Road. The hangar doors were 95% closed but I could just make it out.
Sep 28, 2020, 5:40 am
#1016
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
Historically stand-down aircrafts had most of the reusable equipment (not only IFE but also bev makers and so on) salvaged and stored for re-use. BA has reused the Thales IFE on the G-VIIx planes so I think they'll do the same thing for the IFEs coming off the Super Hi-J 747s and the few Mid-Js with new Panasonic eX3.
Sep 28, 2020, 1:37 pm
#1018
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Belfast
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 379
Historically stand-down aircrafts had most of the reusable equipment (not only IFE but also bev makers and so on) salvaged and stored for re-use. BA has reused the Thales IFE on the G-VIIx planes so I think they'll do the same thing for the IFEs coming off the Super Hi-J 747s and the few Mid-Js with new Panasonic eX3.
Sep 28, 2020, 3:16 pm
#1019
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
Indeed the video units are there! I don't know, perhaps there's a deal for the plane salvage company to return them, or perhaps they'll be scrapped and sold by the salvage company. I wonder if that 747 came in through CWL or went straight to the scrapper from LHR.
Sep 28, 2020, 3:23 pm
#1020
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SQ Gold, KQ Platinum, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Gold, Marriott Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,348
From CWL - I don’t believe any of the 747s have had any fixed items removed prior to retirement.