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G-VLIP 7 Boeing 747-443 Virgin Atlantic Airways (Millennium Falcon) MAN 15JUN20

Special logojet promoting 'Star Wars - Galaxy's Edge', the latest movie in the Star Wars franchise, featuring the 'Millennium Falcon'.

 

With a little heat shimmer!

 

Named: "Hot Lips", later "The Falcon" (Sep-19).

 

Originally ordered by GECAS for lease to Alitalia as EI-CVI, the lease was cancelled and the aircraft was leased to Virgin Atlantic Airways as G-VLIP in May-01.

 

In May-10 it carried large 'Harry Potter' graphics until Jan-11. In Sep-19 the aircraft was renamed 'The Falcon' and repainted in a Star Wars 'Millennium Falcon' special livery promoting the 'Star Ward - Galaxy's Edge' movie.

 

Virgin Atlantic were due to start retiring their seven remaining B747-400's from the end of 2000, however the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 caused them to retire the aircraft early. All seven aircraft were initially stored at Manchester, UK in Mar/Apr-20.

 

They are gradually being moved to Ciudad Real in central Spain for long term storage and lease return. This aircraft ferried Manchester / Ciudad Real on 15-Jun-20.

 

It was ferried to London-Heathrow and onwards to Marana, AZ, USA in Dec-20 where it was permanently retired.

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Uploaded on June 15, 2020
Taken on June 15, 2020