British Airways retires entire fleet of Boeing's jumbo jets

British Airways, the world's largest operator of Boeing 747, said on late Thursday it would retire its entire jumbo jet fleet with immediate effect due to the downturn in travel industry caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Global curbs imposed to stem the spread of the virus led to a turbulence in air travel, placing the future of many airline companies in doubt. "It is unlikely our magnificent 'queen of the skies' will ever operate commercial services for British Airways again," the company said. BA added that it will operate more flights on modern, fuel-efficient aircraft such as its new A350s and 787s and expects such aircraft to help in achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Boeing's 747, a plane that democratized global air travel in the 1970s but fell behind modern twin-engine aircraft, marked its 50-year flying anniversary in February 2019.<br/>