British Airways has announced it is to retire its Boeing 747 "jumbo jet" fleet with immediate effect. 

The UK flag carrier said the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting downturn brought the decision to ground the 31 747-400 models forward from 2024. 

"It is with great sadness that we can confirm we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect," a BA spokesman said. 

"It is unlikely our magnificent 'queen of the skies' will ever operate commercial services for British Airways again due to the downturn in travel caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic," the spokesman added. 

Although the pandemic has brought forward the retirement of the jet, it was far from unexpected. In recent months, Air France, Delta and United have also retired the 50-year-old model. 

The 747 started flying in the 1970s and British Airways' predecessor, the British Overseas Airways Corporation, was an early adopter of the luxury "queen of the skies." Those early models came with a bar or lounge area in the famous "bump," instead of the regular seating most passengers will find on double-decker aircraft today. 

BA said the move to remove 747s from commercial flying would help it achieve its carbon-neutral promise by 2050, as it would turn to more modern aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which are more fuel-efficient. 

This gallery shows the first ever Boeing 747 to land in the UK. It was flown by the now defunct Pan-American carrier and landed in London on 12 January 1970. As you can see from the photographers braving the damp conditions, it was one of the biggest stories of the day.