Negus and Cotswold Airport
At the start of 2020, British Airways announced the early retirement of their Boeing 747 fleet due to the downtime caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
A year prior to this sad announcement, British Airways had re-painted three of their iconic aircraft into the heritage liveries of BOAC, Landor and Negus, celebrating 100 years of the airline.
After 6 weeks of negotiations, it was announced that G-CIVB, the Negus livery B747, rather than being scrapped was to have a permanent home here at Cotswold Airport.
Negus arrived here at Cotswold Airport in October 2020, to a warm welcome from crowds of aviation enthusiasts.
In order to earn her keep, work began to transform the aircraft into a corporate events space and private hire venue. Work included re-wiring her to work on mains power, rather than her own APU, and installing a professional AV system for events.
On 11th February 2022, G-CIVB was officially opened by local councillor, Joe Harris. Almost a year and a half since she flew into the airport, in March 2022, Negus opened for the public to step onboard, with many original aspects of the aircraft preserved in the same place as the day she flew in.
Since opening in March 2022, Negus has seen an overwhelming amount of visitors on public tours and special events. We are honoured that we are able to be a lasting home to Negus and welcome new generations onboard this beautiful Queen of the Skies!
Regular tours...
Since March 2022, Negus has been open to the public for self-guided tours most Wednesdays and Saturdays, subject to availability.
Take a self-guided tour around the aircraft, observing all the original features left in place by British Airways before exploring our new events section in the economy cabin.
Cockpit tours....
On very limited days, the Flight Deck is opened for the public to view.
Tickets for these days are very limited and must be pre-booked via the link below. Regular tours do not take place on these days, only Cockpit tickets are able to be purchased for these selected dates.
In addition to being able to go in the cockpit, the rest of the aircraft will be open as usual for a self-guided tour.
Tour FAQs
A list of frequently asked questions and their answers to help make your visit as smooth as possible.
Negus has been open to the public since March 2022. She is open for public tours most Wednesdays and Saturdays, dependent on availability.
Please check the booking website for updated tour dates and times.
In addition to public tours, Negus is also an events venue. Tours are unable to take place when a private booking is onboard, which is why some dates are unavailable.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate cockpit visits on a regular public tour session.
We have installed a Perspex screen to allow visitors to see the entire flight deck, just not actually go inside.
Limited Cockpit Open days are available. Please check the booking website for these dates.
If no dates are available, then none are taking place during that period.
Yes, there is a range of merchandise available to purchase both onsite and online. Click here for more details and to buy online.
Please contact us on events@cotswoldairport.com if you need to visit at a different time than stated on your ticket. We will do our best to accommodate you, however, it is subject to availability.
As per the terms and conditions signed upon booking, tickets are non-refundable/transferrable. It is not possible to alter the date of the booking or get a refund.
Due to the nature of the aircraft, we are unable to offer disabled access.
The aircraft is accessed by a via a set of airstairs approximately 2 stories high, so those with mobility issues may struggle.
Although the airfield and our café are dog friendly, unfortunately no dogs are allowed onboard the aircraft.
Support/assistance dogs are exempt from this rule.
There is a card machine on the gate, so tickets can be purchased upon arrival. However, pre-booking is advised due to limited spaces available. Entry is not guaranteed on the day unless you have a valid ticket.