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BOEING, BOEING, GONE

British Airways may be a step closer to retiring its iconic jumbo jets after suspending training on its fleet

BRITISH Airways may be a step closer to retiring its iconic jumbo jets after suspending training on its fleet.

Boeing 747 cockpit crews require constant training — without it they are not authorised to fly.

A British Airways Boeing 747 lands at London Heathrow Airport
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A British Airways Boeing 747 lands at London Heathrow AirportCredit: Alamy

About 600 captains and co-pilots could lose their jobs if BA axes the plane — a symbol of the carrier.

Ian Pringle, BA head of flight training, messaged the 747 pilots to say: “As a consequence of the pandemic, we believe it isn’t appropriate to continue putting pilots through training.”

A BA pilot said: “It’s the end of an era. The 747 represented the good times in the industry — the Jumbo is finished.”

Most of BA’s 32 747-400s are currently grounded.

The B747’s distinctive upper deck shape earned it the nickname ‘Jumbo Jet’.

The plane can carry 345 passengers and cruises at 565mph.

For over half a century, the Boeing 747 has been part of BA's fleet. The first aircraft was delivered to BA predecessor BOAC in 1970.

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