Motion History: Project Utopia - British Airways' £60m Mistake

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Project Utopia - British Airways' £60m Mistake

Documentary (2020)

Production:
Ruairidh Mac Veigh (Editor)
Ruairidh Mac Veigh (Writter)
Ruairidh Mac Veigh (Narrator)

British Airways, in a drive to become a 'world' airline rather than a British airline, embarked on an ambitious but ultimately misguided corporate rebranding, but one that would cost the carrier dearly in terms of reputation.

Also from this series:
Motion History

Before British Airways

Vickers VC10

Elegant BOAC's Golden Speedbird livery (1965-1973).

Vickers VC10 of BOAC-British Overseas Airways Corporation.

Vickers VC10 of BOAC-British Overseas Airways Corporation.

Negus & Negus era

New livery adoted on all the aircraft among previous BOAC, BEA, Northeast Airlines and Cambrian Airways fleets (1974-1984).

Boeing 747-236

Boeing 747-236 of British Airways.

Boeing 747-236 of British Airways.

Boeing 747-236 of British Airways.

Boeing 747-236 of British Airways.

Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar

Registration G-BBAG, c/n 1094. First flight October 1974, delivered to British Airways in December 1974, named Bridgewater Bay. Sold to Dragonair in March 1993, registered VR-HMW. Bought by Air Transat in October 1995, registered C-GTSX. Wfu at Mirabel, Montreal (CYMX/YMX) in September 2002.

Reg.BBAG Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar Bridgewater Bay of British Airways.

Reg.BBAG Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar Bridgewater Bay of British Airways.

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102 of British Airways.

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102 of British Airways.

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102 of British Airways.

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102 of British Airways.

In 1980 Concorde of British Airways wore the modified Negus livery with enlarged 'British' lettering and 'airways' title dropped, that would be adopted progressively for the whole fleet in the forecoming year.

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102 of British Airways.

Boeing 747-436

Too blurry to see the registration.

Boeing 747-436 of British Airways.

Landor era

Designed by Landor Associates this updated scheme was unveiled in December 1984 and adopted on the whole fleet (1984-1997).

Boeing 747-236B

Main tail fin registered either G-BDXM or G-BDXN (too blurry).
Background shows several other British Airways aircraft in Landor livery:
747 in the far background.
737-236.
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar.
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 ex British Caledonian in the foreground right.

Boeing 747-236 of British Airways.

Tail fin of G-BDXC, c/n 21240/305. First flight in April 1977. Delivered to British Airways in June 1977, named City of Manchester. On service till September 2001. Sold to European Aviation Air Charter in March 2002. Wfu at Glamorgan, Cardiff (EGFF/CWL). Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft (Civil Fixed-Wing).
2x Rolls-Royce RB211-524D4 of another 747 in the foreground.

Reg.G-BDXC Boeing 747-236B City of Manchester of British Airways.

Boeing 757-256

Too blurry to see the full registration (G-BIKx).

Boeing 757-236 of British Airways.

Boeing 757-236 of British Airways.

Foreground, tail fin of Boeing 737-33A of British Midland Airways, registered either G-OBMA, G-OBMB, G-OBMC or G-OBMD.

Boeing 757-236 of British Airways.

Foreground, another Boeing 757-256 of British Airways registered G-BIKW, c/n 23492/89. First flight February 1986, delivered to BA in March 1986, named Belvoir Castle. Sold to European Air Transport as OO-DPK and converted to freighter on March 2003. Leased to DHL Express in June 2003. Transfered to European Air Transport Leipzig (EAT Leipzig] in March 2010, on use again with DHL Express. Wfu at Costa Azahar, Castellón de la Plana,Spain (LECH/CDT) in December 2018.

Boeing 757-236 of British Airways.

Boeing 737-236

of British Airways in the foreground.

Boeing 747-236 of British Airways.

Boeing 747-436

Registration G-BNLC, c/n 23910/734. Delivered in October 1989 to British Airways, named City of Cardiff. Stored in October 2008. Wfu at Glamorgan, Cardiff (EGFF/CWL).

Reg.G-BNLC Boeing 747-436 City of Cardiff of British Airways.

Reg.G-BNLC Boeing 747-436 City of Cardiff of British Airways.

Reg.G-BNLC Boeing 747-436 City of Cardiff of British Airways.

Boeing 747-436

Boeing 747-436 of British Airways.

Boeing 747-436 of British Airways.

Boeing 747-436 of British Airways.

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30

Ex British Caledonian.

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 of British Airways.

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 of British Airways.

Boeing 737-400

Boeing 747-400 of British Airways.

BAC 111-510ED One-Eleven

Background left with an Ilyushin Il-62 from Aeroflot.

BAC 111-528 One-Eleven of British Airways.

BAC 111-528 One-Eleven of British Airways.

BAC 111-528 One-Eleven of British Airways.

Unknown bi-Jet aircraft in the far background left.

BAC 111-528 One-Eleven of British Airways.

Olympic Airways Airbus A300 in the background. Unknown aircraft to the left.

BAC 111-528 One-Eleven of British Airways.

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102 of British Airways.

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102 of British Airways.

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102 of British Airways.

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102 of British Airways.

Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde 102 of British Airways.

Utopia World tail / Newell & Sorrel era

Unveiled in June 1997 the basic template was by the UK agency Newell & Sorrell. The tail and rear fuselage was taken up with a variety of ethnic tail designs and special schemes from global artists designed to show BA as a global airline. (1997-1999)

Boeing 747-436 & Boeing 747-236B

Photoshopped British Airways publicity to promote the Utopia/World tail project.

From top to bottom:
1 - Boeing 747-436, Japan's Waves and Cranes (波と鶴) world tail by artist Matazō Kayama. Also known as Nami Tsuru. Nihonga painting of waves and cranes, symbolizing the cosmic world and the soul of Japan.
Livery applied on 14 different type of aircraft: G-BUSK, G-BVTJ, G-BGDJ, G-BKYP, G-ODUS, G-ODUS, G-OGBA, ZS-NLN (Comair Ltd with BA livery), G-CIVM, G-CIVR, G-CIVX, G-BPEC, G-BZHC, G-VIIM, G-BODR.

2 - Boeing 747-236B never flew with this livery, England's Colour Down the Side world tail artist Terry Frost. Abstract Cornish painting by Frost in 1968.
Livery applied on a single aircraft: G-BRYT (Brymon Airways with BA Express livery).

3 - Boeing 747-236B never flew with this livery, Poland's Kogutki Lowickie world tail by artist Danula Wojda. Sometimes spelled Koguty Lowickie, meaning Cockerel of Lowicz. Based on paper cut-out of cockerels, peacocks and flower.
Livery applied on 9 different type of aircraft: G-BUSB, G-BGDG, G-DOCF, ZS-SBO (Comair Ltd with BA livery), G-BNLT, G-BPED, G-BRYW (Brymon Airways with BA Express livery), G-EMBC (BA CitiExpress livery), G-BNMT (Loganair with BA Express livery).
A unique variant "Flowers of Mazowsze" was applied to G-OGBC.

4 - Boeing 747-436 never flew with this livery, Egypt's Crossing Borders (عبر الحدود) world tail by artist Chant Avedissian. Reuse of Islamic and Pharaonic images and colour based on the decorations of the tentmakers of Cairo.
Livery applied on 4 different type of aircraft: G-BGDE, G-DOCT, G-BIKT, G-MSKO (Maersk Air with BA livery).
A variant of Crossing Borders was applied to G-MEDD (British Mediterranean Airways with BA livery).

5 - Boeing 747-436, Hong Kong's Rendezvous (约会) world tail by artist Yip Man-Yam. Chinese calligraphy of a poem describing water boiling.
Livery applied on 24 different type of aircraft: G-MEDB, G-BGJE, G-DOCM, G-DOCW, G-OAMS, G-BNLR, G-BYGD, G-BYGE, G-BYGG, G-CIVV, G-BIKI, G-BIKN, G-BMRE, G-BMRG, G-CPEU, G-CPEV, G-BNWC, G-BNWP, G-VIIT, G-ZZZC, G-BRYY (Brymon Airways with BA Express livery), G-MANO (British Regional Airlines with BA livery), OY-SVP (Sun Air of Scandinavia with BA livery), OY-SVZ (Sun Air of Scandinavia with BA livery).

6 - Boeing 747-436, South Africa's Ndebele Emmly world tail by artist Emmly Masanabo. Officially named Emmly Masanabo after the artist, who is of the Ndebele people. Based on a panel decorated with beads and mural-style painting; a similar panel was produced by the artist's twin sister Martha, commonly known as Ndebele Martha.
Livery applied on 4 different type of aircraft: G-BNLO, G-BIKC, G-BNWD, G-MSKL (Maersk Air with BA livery).

7 - Boeing 747-236B never flew with this livery, Ireland's Colum 1 world tail by artist Timothy O'Neill. Anglicized Irish for "Dove", a Celtic design to evoke the memory of St Columba.
Livery applied on 22 different type of aircraft with many pattern variants in 2 groups:
Colum 1: ZS-NZV (Comair Ltd with BA livery), G-BGDR, G-MSKB (Maersk Air with BA livery), G-BZAU (BA CityFlyer livery), G-BRYV (Brymon Airways with BA Express livery), G-EMBA (British Regional Airlines withBA CitiExpress livery).
Colum 2: G-BYTP (BA CityFlyer livery), G-DOCX, G-OGBB (GB Airways with BA livery), G-OMUC, G-BNLC, G-BYGB, G-CIVP, G-CPEP, G-BNWK, G-BNWV, G-VIIP, OY-SVT (Sun Air of Scandinavia with BA livery), OY-SVO (Sun Air of Scandinavia with BA livery), G-MAJC (British Regional Airlines with BA livery), G-BJOP (Loganair with BA Express livery), G-BNMU (Loganair with BA Express livery).

Boeing 747-436 and 236B of British Airways.

Boeing 747-436 and 236B of British Airways.

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See also

• Motion History: Project Utopia - British Airways' £60m Mistake at Youtube