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Watch as we go behind the scenes on board the final Virgin Atlantic 747 at Heathrow

Jan. 22, 2021
2 min read
Last 747 Thumbnail
Watch as we go behind the scenes on board the final Virgin Atlantic 747 at Heathrow
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Back in December 2020, TPG Content Producer Dan Ross and I were invited on board the final Virgin Atlantic 747 before she left the airline for good. At almost 20 years old, G-VROY, also known as Pretty Woman, made her departure from the Virgin Atlantic fleet, destined for a new life with a new, undisclosed lessor.

But in true Virgin style, the airline wasn't going to let her go without a proper send-off.

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Virgin Atlantic invited press and some lucky members of the public to say their final goodbyes to the last superjumbo in the fleet — including a celebratory Champagne breakfast. But far more exciting for an AvGeek was the opportunity to explore every nook and cranny of the Queen of the Skies and even have our photograph taken in one of the beautiful GE CF6 engines.

You can watch the fascinating behind-the-scenes video from the day here:

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Virgin Atlantic was forced to rethink its fleet in order to conserve cash and reduce expenses. Its remaining Boeing 747 fleet was accelerated into retirement. Now, the airline operates a fleet of just Airbus A330, Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 aircraft.

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Related: We toured Virgin Atlantic's final 747 — here's why we'll miss the Queen

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.