In a bid to raise funds and clear its storage facilities, British Airways (BA/BAW) has announced that from Monday (23rd November) it would be selling off items from its retired Boeing 747 fleet.
The various items available include a set of William Edwards pasta bowls for £40, passenger quilts for £13 as well as champagne flutes, blankets, trolleys and hot towels.
The move comes as the cash-strapped airline has decided to auction some of its art collection, including works by Damian Hurst and a £1m-plus work by Bridget Riley.
Following a major decrease in air travel as a result of Covid-19, BA announced plans to make thousands of its staff redundant as its parent company IAG reported losses of £5.1bn in the first nine months of 2020.
Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience said: “This is an incredible one-off opportunity for people to bring the magic of flying with British Airways in to their own homes. We know that these special items will fly and we are delighted to be able to offer them in time for Christmas to give people the opportunity to make it memorable during a difficult year.”
The iconic 747 was retired by British Airways in April this year after over four decades of use, with BOAC flying its first 747 flight in April 1971. At its height, the airline had a fleet of 57 747-400s and was the world’s biggest operator of the aircraft.
Though it is unlikely that the aircraft will ever see service with British Airways again, some have been put to good use with one Gloucestershire museum turning it into a cinema and conference centre.