OREANDA-NEWS.   British Airways has welcomed the two newest members of its fleet to Heathrow, the airline’s London hub.

The largest aircraft in the fleet, the A380 and one of the smallest, the A320, stood nose to nose at Airbus’ site in Toulouse before British Airways pilots flew them into Heathrow.

The aircraft are part of British Airways’ Ј5bn investment to improve customers’ experience in the air and on the ground.

The A380 is one of five arriving this year – British Airways will take delivery of 12 by 2016.

The aircraft’s innovative design makes it much quieter during take-off and landing and 16 per cent more fuel efficient than the aircraft it replaces.

The new aircraft will join the airline’s super-jumbo fleet, which flies twice daily to Los Angeles, daily to Hong Kong, six times a week to Johannesburg and later this year, five times a week to Washington.

The new A320 will join the airline’s short-haul fleet, flying to destinations across Europe.  A total of seven A320 aircraft will arrive in 2014.