- Airbus A319 will be repainted at Shannon in colour scheme used from 1959-1968
- Boeing 747 was repainted at Dublin Airport and is now back in service in BOAC colours
- Makeovers are part of the centenary celebrations at airline
British Airways has revealed the second design in its series of heritage liveries to mark the airline’s centenary – an Airbus A319 will be painted in the colours of the airline’s short-haul predecessor, British European Airways (BEA).
British Airways Boeing 747 repainted in BOAC colours in Dublin, February 2019
The Airbus makeover will take place in Shannon, following the repainting of a 747 in British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) colours used from 1964-1974. That jumbo left the IAC paint bay at Dublin Airport for London Heathrow on Monday, before departing on its first flight to New York.
The A319, reg G-EUPJ, will enter the IAC paint bay at Shannon Airport this weekend where it will be repainted with the BEA livery which flew mainly on British and European routes between 1959 and 1968. However, the aircraft will have a grey upper wing, rather than the traditional red, to meet current wing paint reflectivity requirements.
It will return to Heathrow and enter service next month flying across Britain and Europe, with the design remaining on the aircraft until it retires next year.
Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “BEA is an important part of our history, and many customers and colleagues will have fond memories flying on its aircraft.”
Both the BEA and the BOAC liveries are part of a special series to mark British Airways’ centenary. More replica designs will be revealed, while all new aircraft entering the fleet, including the A350, will continue to receive the modern Chatham Dockyard design.
The Dublin paint will remain on the Boeing 747 until it retires in 2023 – by that time, British Airways will have retired the majority of its 747 fleet, replacing them with 18 Airbus A350s and 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the next four years, as well as another 26 short-haul aircraft, as part of a £6.5bn investment.
