What replaced the 767 in British Airways?

The Boeing 787s will replace 14 of British Airways' Boeing 767 fleet, while the Airbus A380s will replace 20 of BA's Boeing 747-400s and will most likely be used to increase capacity on key routes from Heathrow Airport.



British Airways officially retired its last Boeing 767-300ER in late 2018, and the aircraft has been replaced by a combination of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350-1000. Specifically, the Boeing 787-8 was the direct "size" replacement for the 767 on medium-to-long-haul routes, offering significantly better fuel efficiency and a superior cabin environment (higher humidity and lower cabin altitude). For the high-density European "shuttle" routes that the 767 used to dominate—such as London to Madrid or Athens—British Airways now utilizes the Airbus A321neo, which offers similar capacity with much lower operating costs. As of 2026, the 787 family (including the -8, -9, and -10) has become the backbone of BA's mid-sized wide-body fleet. While the 767 was a beloved "workhorse" for nearly 30 years, its replacement by the 787 and A350 has allowed the airline to modernize its fleet with "Club Suite" business class products and advanced aerodynamic technology that the older 767 airframes simply could not support, ensuring a more competitive long-haul product in the modern aviation market.

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The Boeing 787 was developed as a successor to the Boeing 767, aiming to offer improved fuel efficiency, passenger comfort, and operational flexibility.

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The first Boeing 767 was delivered more than 40 years ago and the type is still in regular service with 100 operators around the world. But where the 767 flies and what flies inside the aircraft has changed dramatically. The 767 now flies predominately as a freighter.

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The 777 is way longer and has long huge raked wingtips with no winglets. On the other hand, the 767 has smaller, more 737 shaped wings but bigger and some have winglets and some not. Secondly, the 777 can fly much farther than the 767 And carry more passengers.

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Essentially, the 787-9 has roughly the same flight costs but comes with an extended range and 30-40 more seats. So many airlines that operated the 767 chose instead to bite the bullet and upgrade the bigger 787-9 over strictly replacing the 767.

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For example, the 787-8 has a greater wingspan than the 767 and is designed to be more fuel efficient. Meanwhile, the 767 is longer than the 787 but cannot carry that many more passengers.

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The Airbus A330 is a newer, more advanced widebody aircraft compared to the Boeing 767. While both aircraft are superficially similar, the A330 is the superior aircraft of the two. The A330 offers a wider fuselage (222 inches) allowing for 8 abreast seating in economy class, whereas the 767 offers only 7 abreast.

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With schedule and cost reductions during the COVID-19 global pandemic, Delta decided to retire the 777 by the end of 2020, in order to “accelerate the airline's strategy to simplify and modernize its fleet while continuing to operate newer, more cost-efficient aircraft.” See the news release.

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British Airways retired its last 737 in 2015, after a slow phase out in favour of A320s. Once covid took hold it seemed even more likely that IAG would ditch the order.

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British Airways PLC, British air transport company formed in April 1974 in the fusion of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC, formed in 1939), British European Airways (BEA, formed in 1946), and their associated companies. The company, state-owned from its inception, was privatized in 1987.

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Technical, financial, and regulatory hurdles make a return to the skies extremely unlikely. Concorde is an aircraft that captures the imagination and is instantly recognizable even to non-aviation fanatics.

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Boeing's mid-capacity widebody 767 has proven to be a staple of long haul flying. With a healthy range and better economics than the 747, it was the pioneer of twinjet ETOPS and enabled more airlines to operate on a point to point model.

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