Look it’s flight BA475 from Barcelona! The interactive British Airways billboards where children point skywards at passing planes and reveal where they took of
When a plane passes overhead, people start to imagine some of the exotic destinations it may have travelled from.
Now onlookers will know exactly where a flight took off at the exact moment it travels above with the help of British Airways’ new interactive billboards.
The digital screens installed by the airline show a child standing up and pointing to the aircraft as it travels above the sign, and then displays the flight number along with the plane’s starting point.



The boards, which have been installed in Piccadilly Circus and Chiswick in London, were developed by the airline’s global creative technology agency .
They seek to remind people how magical flying can be, by approaching air travel from a child’s perspective.
Specially-designed surveillance technology allows the screens to interact with the aircraft flying overhead.
The system tracks the plane and interrupts the digital display just as it passes over the site, revealing the image of a child pointing at the plane overhead accompanied by its flight number and destination.
For example the screen may read: ‘It’s the BA0234 from Los Angeles’.
Other destinations will be accompanied by other information such as the lowest available fare or the temperature in the destination.
The destinations can also be updated immediately depending on changing focus routes for the airline.
Richard Tams, British Airways’ head of UK & Ireland sales, said: ‘Sometimes we forget how magical flying can be.
‘The first time anyone gets on a plane is an unforgettable experience and we want to remind our customers of that feeling.
‘We’ve all had conversations with friends and family wondering where the planes are going and dream of an amazing holiday or warm destination and this clever technology taps in to that and reminds people how accessible the world can be.’


