An integral part of the company’s long-haul line-up mere months ago, British Airways’ 747-400 fleet is now grounded and in storage across the UK, Europe and the US. Tom Batchelor considers the carrier’s long association with the jumbo, spanning five decades, and the circumstances which forced the type’s early retirement

British Airways (BA) bid farewell to the 'Queen of the Skies' in July – the 747 had served nearly 50 years with the UK flag carrier, with the jet’s retirement ending a golden era of air travel that had seen millions of passengers flown around the world in the iconic double-decker