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British Airways has reportedly sent its most iconic jet since the Concorde to be scrapped. See inside the plane that shuttled VIP flyers between New York and London.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
A British Airways Airbus A318 aircraft.

  • British Airways is scrapping the all-business class jet that only served the London-New York route.
  • The Airbus A318 stretched only eight rows and was fitted with luxurious lie-flat seats. 
  • The flight used London’s smaller City Airport to directly connect the Big Apple with London’s financial district. 
  • Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories.

British Airways just dealt a blow to its premium customers as the airline is scrapping the all-business class aircraft formerly offered on the billion-dollar London-New York flagship route, Aviation Week reported.

The VIP-configured Airbus A318 aircraft was the only one of its kind in the British Airways fleet when its retirement was announced in July. The service boasted enhanced convenience and luxury to the business travelers that frequented the route and, with capacity for only 32 passengers, it was among the closest to a private jet in the airline world. 

British Airways used the service to solidify its place as the route’s go-to premium carrier, replacing the Concorde as the crown jewel of the airline’s transatlantic offering. The smaller and more exclusive A318 service catered to the airline’s top spenders with a direct link between New York City and London’s financial district. 

It was also a bucket list flight for many aviation enthusiasts since the A318 was already itself a rare aircraft on which to fly, let alone on a transatlantic journey and in an all-business class configuration. But the aircraft is no longer in British Airways’ fleet after being sent to be dismantled in the Netherlands, according to Aviation Week.

Take a look inside the most exclusive aircraft to connect New York and London since the Concorde.

Most people traveling between New York and London on British Airways before the pandemic found themselves either flying on a Boeing 747-400…

British Airways Boeing 747
A British Airways Boeing 747-400 at JFK Airport.

Or Boeing 777-200.

British Airways Boeing 777
A British Airways Boeing 777.

The two make up the majority of flights flying the $1 billion route between the two economic hubs but most don’t know about the third aircraft that flew British Airways’ top clients: the Airbus A318.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
A British Airways Airbus A318 aircraft.

Read More: These 10 global flight routes are where airlines made the most money in 2018 and 2019

The smallest member of the Airbus A320 family, the A318 was a commercial flop for Airbus that only saw a handful of customers, mostly in Europe.

Airbus A318
An Airbus A318 aircraft in house colors.

The aircraft is out of production and though British Airways was among the last and smallest operators of the type, it made the aircraft an icon in transatlantic aviation by flying it between New York and London.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
A British Airways Airbus A318 aircraft.

While the thought of flying on a short-haul aircraft across the Atlantic may seem unappealing, there’s a catch to this aircraft in that it’s configured in an all-business class configuration.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

Only 32 seats make up that sole premium cabin that’s spread out across eight rows.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

And though small in size, this A318 had no shortage of comfort as all rows featured business class seats with fully lie-flat capabilities. These seats are not found on similar aircraft.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

Amenities and features at each seat standard for business class included a plush pillow and blanket kit from The White Company….

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

Amenity kit from The White Company…

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

Foldable tray table…

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

Personal reading lamp…

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

Literature holder…

British Airways A318 Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

110v AC power outlet…

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

Coat hangar…

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

And adjustable headrest.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

Apple iPads were also distributed in lieu of seat-back entertainment screens.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

Each row also had multiple windows for better views of the crossing during the day.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

Though the standard in business class is now enclosed private suites which the A318 didn’t offer, a small divider separated the paired seats for an additional morsel of privacy.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour

Only three flight attendants serviced the passengers, providing a full business class meal service and drinks for the 3,000-nautical mile journey.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

The seats were controlled via the armrest, with numerous customizable positions.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour

The lie-flat capability of the seats was ideal for the evening red-eye flight from New York to London, allowing business travelers to get a comfortable full night’s rest and head straight to work or meetings the next morning.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

British Airways frequently saw passengers arriving in New York and London only to return within the next 24 hours, with the near downtown-to-downtown service allowing for a quick and luxurious in-and-out of the world’s top business centers.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

While not the most modern business class product, the service as a whole made the Airbus A318 the aircraft of choice for those who could afford it when flying between London and New York.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour

And with only eight rows and 32 seats, the aircraft felt more like a private jet than a commercial airliner. Case in point, the flight before my visit in March 2020 only had five passengers on board.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Inside a British Airways Airbus A318.

As the aircraft couldn’t make it from London to New York nonstop – even with the reduced passenger load – it made a stop in Shannon, Ireland for fuel, where it also cleared US Customs and Border Protection.

US Customs and Border Patrol immigration terrorism refugees
A US Customs and Border Protection agent.

Upon landing in New York, passengers onboard BA1 arrived in the terminal as they would if it were a domestic flight, with no further passport checks required.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
Terminal 7 at JFK International Airport.

British Airways only had one A318 in its fleet, G-EUNA, which solely flew this route.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
A British Airways Airbus A318 aircraft.

Designed with business travelers in mind, the aircraft flew every day of the week except Saturdays.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
A British Airways Airbus A318 aircraft.

It was intended to fill the gap left by the Concorde in 2003, with the A318’s first flight occurring in 2009.

Concorde
A British Airways Concorde aircraft.

G-EUNA flew the flag on British Airways’ flagship route wearing either the flight number BA1 or BA2 – depending on which direction it was flying – for 11 years before the coronavirus pandemic ended its tenure permanently in July.

British Airways Airbus A318 JFK Tour
A British Airways Airbus A318 aircraft.

Though not as fast as Concorde, the service was nearly every bit as exclusive, earning the nickname “Concorde’s baby sister.”

British Airways Airbus A318 Tour
A British Airways Airbus A318 aircraft.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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