British Airways (BA/BAW) unveiled its latest retrojet at London Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) this morning and just like the BOAC 747, it drew a crowd.
The latest livery to be revived from history is that of BEA and it is being proudly worn by Airbus A319 G-EUPJ.
British European Airways (BEA) operated from 1946 through to 1974 when it was merged with BOAC, and ultimately British Airways.
The livery worn by G-EUPJ was primarily worn on domestic and European routes between 1959 and 1968. There is one aspect missing though, due to modern regulations the aircraft has a grey upper wing, rather than the traditional red. This is necessary to meet current wing paint reflectivity requirements.
Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “It was another really special day as we welcomed our BEA liveried A319 in to Heathrow this morning, which forms part of our centenary heritage fleet. Yet again there were huge crowds lining the perimeter fence to see the aircraft coming in, which shows just how excited people are about these designs. We’ve been overwhelmed with positive feedback from customers and colleagues.”
