British Airways (BA/BAW) is the United Kingdom’s flag carrier, and one of the most recognizable airlines in Europe. With its origins in the original Imperial Airways, British Airways came into existence between 1971 and 1974 with the merger of British European Airways (BEA) and the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).
The carrier has an eclectic fleet history to say the least, having operated numerous British, American and European-built aircraft, including Concorde. But what does the British Airways fleet look like today? Let’s take a look at the oldest and youngest members of the fleet.
| Aircraft type | Number in fleet |
|---|---|
| Airbus A320neo | 20 |
| Airbus A321neo | 11 |
| Airbus A319-131 | 30 |
| Airbus A320-232 | 66 |
| Airbus A321-200 | 11 |
| Airbus A350-1000 | 16 |
| Airbus A380-800 | 12 |
| Boeing 777-200ER | 43 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 16 |
| Boeing 787-8 | 12 |
| Boeing 787-9 | 18 |
| Boeing 787-10 | 7 |
| Embraer 190SR | 20 |
| Dornier 328 Jet | 4 |
What is British Airways’ oldest narrowbody aircraft?
The oldest narrowbody aircraft in the British Airways fleet is G-EUPD, a 24-year-old Airbus A319-131 MSN01142 registered in November 1999. The A320 family forms the backbone of BA’s short and medium haul operations, and Papa Delta proves its worth as a narrowbody workhorse, flying between 6-7 sectors on an average day. Based at the carrier’s home base of London Heathrow (LHR), the aircraft frequents most of the major destinations on the airline’s European network.
What is British Airways’ oldest widebody aircraft?
The oldest widebody aircraft in the British Airways fleet is G-VIIA, a 27-year-old Boeing 777-236ER, MSN 27483. The aircraft was first registered in October 1996 and is based at London Heathrow (LHR). India Alpha frequently shuttles passengers between London and the Americas, with a focus on New York (JFK), Philadelphia (PHL), Bermuda (BGA) and Toronto (YYZ). In addition to American destinations, the aircraft is also used less frequently for routes to Africa and the Middle East, most recently Doha (DOH) and Lagos (LOH). Just across the English Channel in Paris, you will find F-GSPA, a similarly-aged 777-200 that is the oldest widebody in the Air France fleet.
What is the oldest active British Airways regional jet?
When you think of British Airways and regional jets, you likely think of the 20-strong fleet of Embraer 190 aircraft operated by BA CityFlyer. However, the oldest active regional jet in service with British Airways is in fact OY-NCW, a Dornier 328-300 Jet registered in November 1999. This rare aircraft is one of four operated in British Airways livery by subsidiary Sun Air. At the time of writing, the aircraft is flying once-daily shuttle flights between Marseilles (MRS) and Augsburg (AGB), though these aircraft are an equally common sight flying between Manchester (MAN), Billund (BLL) and Gothenburg (GOT). BA’s youngest regional jet is G-LCYS, a 9-year-old Embraer 190SR based at London City Airport (LCY).
Which are the newest aircraft in the British Airways fleet?
British Airways’ newest narrowbody jet
The newest narrowbody aircraft in the British Airways fleet is G-TNEA, an Airbus A321neo registered in October 2023. Based at Heathrow, the aircraft frequents destinations across the airline’s European network, most recently visiting Copenhagen (CPH), Istanbul (IST), Athens (ATH) and Cairo (CAI). This aircraft is closely followed by an Airbus A320neo, G-TTNU, which was registered in March 2023.
What is British Airways’ newest widebody jet?
Airbus A350-1000 G-XWBP joined British Airways as its newest widebody jet in July 2023. Since joining the airline, the aircraft has primarily operated between London Heathrow and Phoenix (PHX), São Paulo (GRU) and San Diego (SAN). The aircraft is one of three A350-1000s to have joined BA in 2023 alongside G-XWBO and G-XWBN.
Have you flown on any of British Airways’ newest or oldest aircraft? Leave a comment below.
Cover photo: Elise Van de Putte, JetPhotos.
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