British Airways, the flag carrier of the United Kingdom, maintains one of Europe’s largest fleets and operates extensively between Europe and the United States. Although some iconic aircraft such as the Concorde, Boeing 757, and Boeing 747 Jumbo have been retired, British Airways continues to operate 12 Airbus A380 Superjumbos, tying with Singapore Airlines for the second-largest A380 fleet globally.
The British Airways fleet comprises 295 aircraft with an average age of 11.8 years, as reported by ch-aviation. The group includes subsidiaries BA CityFlyer and BA EuroFlyer. BA CityFlyer operates domestic and European flights from London City Airport using 20 Embraer ERJ-190 regional jets, each 13.4 years old.
The narrowbody fleet for British Airways consists entirely of Airbus models. With aging Airbus A319s at 22.7 years average, the A320s are their narrowbody mainstay. This includes 63 A320-200s and 29 newer A320neos, with an additional four A320neos on order. The A321 fleet features 11 A321-200s and 15 A321neos, with the older models averaging 19.4 years and the newer ones at 4.3 years, along with three more A321neos on order.
British Airways, part of the IAG group, does not yet have any orders for the Airbus A321XLR, recently acquired by Iberia and Aer Lingus within the group.
The airline’s widebody fleet includes 18 Airbus A350-1000s and retains 12 Airbus A380s. With an average age of 3.7 years, the A350-1000s can cover extensive ranges of up to 8,900 nautical miles.
British Airways also heavily relies on Boeing aircraft, with 59 Boeing 777s and 41 Boeing 787 Dreamliners divided amongst the 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 variants. Plans for introducing the Boeing 777X are underway, with 18 orders placed for the Boeing 777-9 and an option for 24 more, expected delivery in 2026.
British Airways typically configures its widebody planes with a focus on upper-class seating. The Airbus A350-1000 features 331 seats, while the Boeing 787-10 has a configuration of only 248 seats despite the aircraft’s capacity for more. The fleet is renowned for its business and premium economy seating offerings.
British Airways maintains a considerable market presence in North America, with up to 55 daily flights to the United States and Canada.
