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| BRITISH AIRWAYS BOEING 747-436 G-BNLW (MSN 25432) |
The Boeing 747 revolutionised air travel when it first took to the skies in 1969. Now, after an impressive five decade production run, one iconic jumbo jet is gearing up for perhaps its most ambitious role yet – as a ‘party plane’ available for weddings, birthdays and private events.
Sporting British Airways’ classic ‘Negus’ livery – a distinctive red, white and blue design that featured across the fleet from 1974 to 1980 – the 747 was put out to pasture in October 2020 after completing 13,398 flights and racking up an impressive 118,445 flight hours.
Its last passenger flight was from Miami to Heathrow on the 6th April 2020.
But this Queen of the Skies wasn’t quite ready for retirement just yet.
She was purchased for a token £1 by Cotswold Airport, near the village of Kemble in Gloucestershire, England, with airport CEO Suzannah Harvey revealing grand plans for the old girl.
Harvey said she was offered her pick between four retired BA 747s, but the choice was an easy one, describing the British Airways livery created by feted British design agency Negus & Negus as “the most beautiful one they’ve ever produced”.
An extensive 14-month interior makeover saw the economy class ceiling panels, seats and overhead luggage compartments removed to open up the spacious cabin.
The jumbo now sports a large, multi-space dancefloor matched by an impressive lighting rig, DJ booth and bar seating. The galley kitchen has also been converted into a cosy walk-up bar, although the first class cabin and the cockpit remain untouched, should you need a space to sit down and catch your breath.
The Cotswold Airport 747 Negus is now available for weddings, birthdays, launches and any other event you’d care to hold inside a jumbo jet.
Rates start at around £1000 (AUD $1,911) an hour, with a 24-hour full day hire setting you back some £12,000 (AUD $22,934) – still, it’s a small price to pay to experience a piece of aviation history.
For what it’s worth, the first Qantas Boeing 747-438 is now in residence at Australia’s Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Aviation Museum at Albion Park, one hour south of Sydney.
But this Queen of the Skies wasn’t quite ready for retirement just yet.
She was purchased for a token £1 by Cotswold Airport, near the village of Kemble in Gloucestershire, England, with airport CEO Suzannah Harvey revealing grand plans for the old girl.
Harvey said she was offered her pick between four retired BA 747s, but the choice was an easy one, describing the British Airways livery created by feted British design agency Negus & Negus as “the most beautiful one they’ve ever produced”.
An extensive 14-month interior makeover saw the economy class ceiling panels, seats and overhead luggage compartments removed to open up the spacious cabin.
The jumbo now sports a large, multi-space dancefloor matched by an impressive lighting rig, DJ booth and bar seating. The galley kitchen has also been converted into a cosy walk-up bar, although the first class cabin and the cockpit remain untouched, should you need a space to sit down and catch your breath.
The Cotswold Airport 747 Negus is now available for weddings, birthdays, launches and any other event you’d care to hold inside a jumbo jet.
Rates start at around £1000 (AUD $1,911) an hour, with a 24-hour full day hire setting you back some £12,000 (AUD $22,934) – still, it’s a small price to pay to experience a piece of aviation history.
For what it’s worth, the first Qantas Boeing 747-438 is now in residence at Australia’s Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Aviation Museum at Albion Park, one hour south of Sydney.
VH-OJA (MSN 24354) arrived on the 8th March 2015 as a gift from Qantas after Qantas cancelled a plan to retire her to an ‘aircraft graveyard’ in Victorville, California and instead donated the historic aircraft to HARS to be preserved.
It was the 12th Boeing 747-400 to be built by Boeing.
Aircraft Information:
Airline: British Airways
Code: BA/BAW
Aircraft: Boeing 747-436
Registration: G-CIVB
Serial Number: 25811
First Flew: 3rd February 1994
Engines: 4 x RR RB211-524G
Stored: 16th March 2020
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