British Airways retires B767

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  • Mark Caswell
    Keymaster

    We have published a piece this morning, BA has also provided us with the following press release. It would be great to hear readers’ thoughts on the aircraft…

    British Airways retires B767

    BRITISH AIRWAYS BIDS FAREWELL TO ICONIC BOEING 767

    British Airways today bids farewell to one of the most iconic aircraft in its fleet, the Boeing 767. The airline’s final two 767s were retired to St Athan in Wales after the last commercial flight – Larnaca in Cyprus to Heathrow – took place yesterday.

    Since British Airways operated its first 767 in February 1990 on a short hop to Paris, the fleet of aircraft have completed over 425,000 commercial flights. Frankfurt was the route where enthusiasts could spot the 767 most frequently, with the aircraft completing nearly 15,000 flights to and from the airport, but the aircraft has also been used to serve routes from Abu Dhabi, to Calgary and New York. While it was initially used for long-haul, in recent years it has been reconfigured for use on short-haul, including to Athens and Larnaca as well as on some domestic routes.

    The retirement comes as British Airways looks to the future of its fleet. Just days ago, the airline took delivery of its 30th Boeing 787 Dreamliner – the newest aircraft in its fleet. Not only is the Dreamliner around 40 per cent quieter than other aircraft it also uses 20 per cent less fuel than similarly sized aircraft. This means a reduction in carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. But it’s not just the 787 being added to British Airways’ fleet. Later in the year the airline will take delivery of another pioneering aircraft – its first Airbus A350, part of the airline’s £6.5bn investment for customers over the next five years.

    On the 767 retirement, British Airways Director of Flight Operations, Captain Al Bridger, said: “The 767 has been a brilliant part of our fleet, flying some of our most popular routes and giving customers what was an industry-leading service in its time. It’s fitting that as the final 767 leaves the fleet, we take our 30th delivery of another industry-leading aircraft, the 787, which offers customers an exceptional experience in the skies.”

    The final 767 commercial flight took place on aircraft reg G-BZHA. This aircraft first flew in 1998 and has flown an estimated 23 million miles. It has visited Larnaca 900 times in its life, but its most popular route is actually to Athens, where it’s completed 1,275 round trips. It is estimated that this aircraft has carried around 4 million customers across nearly 23,000 flights.


    ImissConcorde
    Participant

    Last flight to RAF St Athan as BA767A this morning.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    My experiences on the 767 mainly on the early flight to AMS and the mid morning flight from FRA to LHR. The only positives were the leather seats were comfortable, 2×2 in club on the sides (as business used to be) and the separate forward cabin. Of late, very off putting to see plastic tape holding things together and utterly filthy tray tables and areas that put me off placing any food or drink on the tables.

    The other downside was you knew you would be parked at B or C gates at LHR, making the journey into the terminal longer.


    esselle
    Participant

    The 767 operated MAN-JFK, fitted with the then J class cradle seat. I can’t remember when they dropped the route, nor can I remember how many times I flew it, but I do remember it was a pretty good experience.


    STORMIN'
    Participant

    I used to fly the LON / CCS / BOG route on a very regular basis through the 1990s and early 2000s. The equipment used started out with the B741, then the B744, the B772 and after that the B763. Everyone I spoke to including the local cabin crew element hated the plane with a passion. It was slow, putting an extra hour on the travel time, noisy and even felt dated all those years ago. I recently put an item on this forum following a trip that I did with Austrian on one of their aged B763s from Miami to Vienna. It had been refurbed internally and was clean but there was no doubting that this was a piece of kit from another era. Every dog has its day – eventually.


    Inthesandpit
    Participant

    Fond memories of the 767, I used it on the BRU route in the 90’s. CAI and 3 years ago IAD, I even flew on it on a Shuttle service once. I remember after spending a fractious week in CAI with the Egyptian CAA getting back on the 767 to LHR was a godsend, but those were the 90s, still the Landor Livery, amazing crew and the bonus of a F upgrade. If I remember correctly the F cabin was configured 2-1-2, I had the center seat. After departure I was asked to the Flight Deck as the Captain had received a message from CAI ACC to thank me for all my help and to wish me a safe journey, I then had to explain all to the Flight Deck crew. In the cabin the crew were BA at their best, resourceful and helpful. CAI catering had uploaded Nile perch for my breakfast, probably due to my exec club profile at the time giving my meal preference as seafood, the CSD (ex Tri-Star Flight Engineer) took one look at it and binned it, producing a jolly good English type breakfast and a bottle of Champers for me to take away for the inconvenience caused.
    A friend of mine in BA at the time used to say the fleet was nicknamed the ‘my little pony fleet’ I understand this was because at that time a lot of the female crew were quite young and sported pony tails. Not sure of the validity of this, so apologies to any crew reading this.


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    Is it possible they used them on the LHR – MAN Shuttle service? Or was that the 757?


    esselle
    Participant

    LP

    They occasionally used the 767 on that route but it was more normally the 757.


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    Thanks Esselle, then I have been on it as I was a regular user of that service in both directions.
    Though it was many years ago it was fine for a short flight, 3 x 3 seating I seem to recall, but I can’t say I have particularly fond memories of it, unlike the 747 which I adore!


    PhilipHart
    Participant

    Courtesy of the Head for Points website, here is one BA pilot’s personal reflection on the B767 within British Airways.


    rferguson
    Participant

    My very first flight at BA was on a 767 – a LHR-FRA return. It was such a joy to operate short haul flights on. Long haul flying was a bit more marmite – some crew loved it, some hated it. Those in the latter camp mainly due to the lack of proper crew rest facilities and the necessity for breaks to be split into three lots instead of two on other long haul aircraft.

    IMHO it offered the best comfort and space in CW and WTP, despite the cabins not receiving the latest products. I think the 767’s were due to be retired about ten plus years ago but their life continued to be extended and extended yet the decision was made to not update the interiors as each life extension was ‘for another two years’.

    Like her sister the 757 she will be missed!


    Montysaurus
    Participant

    I still miss the 757!

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    Inquisitive
    Participant

    I first flew on a BA B767 long ago (in 1997); a London to Paris trip for a family vacation. It was very short flight but I still remember the stewardesses served packet food and soft drinks in economy class. And seat width and pitch was quite generous.
    I travelled later on business a few times, but I remember the economy class “luxury”


    STORMIN'
    Participant

    +1


    DGGW
    Participant

    Sadly, I have some very bad memories of these aircraft on the LHR-NAS-GCM route, which I used quite frequently between 2004 and 2015. In the later years it was almost becoming a lottery whether or not you were going to be delayed by the aircraft going going tech en route and the state of the interiors was just appalling with broken seats and dead entertainment units pretty much the norm. It always seemed that BA were just running them into the ground. I actually made two flights on the same aircraft roughly a fortnight apart and none of the faults from the previous trip had been rectified. They should have been retired from that route in 2015 and at the time there were rumours this was going to be a Dreamliner service but when they were eventually replaced in July 2016 the new equipment was 777-200s. One interesting spin off from this was the problems prompted many travelers to and from the UK to route through through the USA.

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