British Airways completes retro livery collection with Boeing 747 Negus design

The designs are part of the airline's centenary celebrations

The Negus livery has been unveiled by British Airways. Courtesy BA

British Airways has unveiled the final design in its series of retro liveries as part of its centenary celebrations.

This time, it's a Boeing 747 painted with the Negus livery, which adorned the BA fleet from 1974-1980 directly after the merger of BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) and BEA (British European Airways).

On its initial flights, it was the first time an aircraft had carried "British Airways" since 1939, when the original British Airways Limited merged with Imperial Airways to form BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation).

The Boeing 747-400, with the registration code G-CIVB, has entered the Dublin Airport paint bay and will return to London Heathrow later this month to enter service.

The design will remain on the aircraft until it retires in 2022.

"It’s particularly significant for us because it’s the first design worn by the British Airways that we all know today, with the distinctive lower case ‘a’ and the Union Flag on the tailfin," said Alex Cruz, British Airways’ chairman and chief executive.

The Negus will join three other aircraft complete with special liveries.

The first was the BOAC livery used from 1964 to 1974, which was painted on to a Boeing 747 and entered service last month.

Next came the repainting of an Airbus A319 in the British European Airways livery, which was originally used between 1959 and 1968.

This was then followed by the Landor design on a Boeing 747 to mark the period between 1984-1997. The plane has also been re-named "City of Swansea", as the Landor livery aircraft was originally called.

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50 years of the Boeing 747 - in pictures

The 747 takes off for its first flight in 1969. All images courtesy Boeing

Flight attendants pose in front of the jumbo jet.

The Boeing 747 next to the 707.

Crowds tour the 747 for a closer look.

The iconic 747 nose.

A close-up of the early 747 engines.

A mock-up of the 747 interior.

The first 747 flight in 1969.

A 747 byline on the occasion of the Queen of the Skies 50th first flight anniversary. All photos by Boeing

The flight crew for the first flight in 1969.

A 747 byline on the occasion of the Queen of the Skies 50th first flight anniversary. All photos by Boeing

Joe Sutter headed the design team and has since been known as the “Father of the 747.”

The first 747 flight in 1969.

A 747 byline on the occasion of the Queen of the Skies 50th first flight anniversary. All photos by Boeing

Pan Am 747s in the factory.

Model mock-ups of the 747.

Crowds queue to board a 747 at an air show.

The first 747 flight in 1969.

The 747 marked the first commercial use of the high bypass turbofan engine.

A Boeing 747-400 flies alongside a 737-400.

Balast tanks during the assembly of the 747.

A stamp on the side of the Boeing plant at Everett, Washington.

747 project test pilot Jack Waddell.