Covid: British Airways' last Boeing 747 leaves Cardiff Airport

British Airways' last remaining Boeing 747 took to the sky for a final time on Friday.

The passenger plane flew from Cardiff Airport to eCube Solutions at Bro Tathan business park in St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan to be preserved.

In July the airline said the "devastating impact" of Covid-19 meant all 31 of its remaining 747s had flown their last commercial services.

Its final passenger flight was from San Francisco to Heathrow on 4 April.

Since entering BA's fleet on 20 January 1999, the aircraft - registration G-BYGC - has flown 45m miles over 11,049 flights for a total of 91,023 hours.

The aircraft will fly around the coastal area before landing at the commercial airfield to begin its retirement.

'Iconic'

Sean Doyle, British Airways' CEO, said: "This final 747 journey is a bittersweet moment for the many thousands of British Airways customers and crew who have flown the world on these Queens of the Sky over the last five decades.

"But while we will certainly miss their majestic presence in the skies above, knowing our last 747 will be preserved for future generations to enjoy at a new home in Wales gives us a great sense of pride and is a fitting end to this chapter of British Airways' history."

Former BA pilot Catherine Burton told BBC Radio Wales: "I've been watching the 17 or so 747s that were stored at Cardiff leave and, to be honest, every time one leaves I get a tear in my eye.

"It was my office for some 30 years... it's just such an iconic aeroplane and a delightful aeroplane to fly from a pilot's point of view."

She said it had "democratised aviation" by making transatlantic flights affordable to more people.