QUEEN OF THE SKIES: VIRGIN ATLANTIC’S TRIBUTE TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
- The airline’s newest plane, an Airbus A330neo, is set to honour Queen Elizabeth II
- Named ‘Queen of the Skies,’ the aircraft will also feature the registration G-VEII
- The plane will enter service in April this year, flying from London Heathrow to destinations including Miami, New York and Tampa
Virgin Atlantic has named its newest aircraft in honour of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. The airline’s brand-new Airbus A330neo will have the name ‘Queen of the Skies’ with royal registration G-VEII, in tribute to the late monarch.
The move marks the second time the Queen of the Skies moniker has been used on a Virgin Atlantic aircraft. Back in 2004, her late majesty unveiled an Airbus A340-600 with the same name at a ceremony in Toulouse. The event was part of a state visit to France to celebrate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale.
Corneel Koster, Chief Customer and Operations Officer, Virgin Atlantic, commented;
“Just like Queen Elizabeth during her historic 70-year reign, Virgin Atlantic is proud to fly the flag for the United Kingdom around the world. We’re delighted to soon be welcoming ‘Queen of the Skies’ to our fleet and hope that it serves as a fitting tribute to an unforgettable, much-loved monarch.”
Positioned at the front of the aircraft, the Queen of the Skies dedication sits above one of Virgin Atlantic’s famous flying mascots. The highflyers are a diverse range of men and women representing modern Britain.
Virgin Atlantic has a long history of naming its planes after famous, strong women, including ‘Diana’ in tribute to Princess Diana. Accompanying ‘Queen of the Skies’ in Virgin Atlantic’s current fleet include ‘Lady Emmeline’ (G-VLIB), which pays homage to the founder of the Suffragette movement and women’s rights activist, Emmeline Pankhurst. ‘Fearless Lady’ (G-VEVE) celebrates the life of the mother of the airline’s founder, Eve Branson. Described as “an entrepreneur before the word existed”, Eve led a colourful life which included enlisting in the WRENS during World War II, taking gliding lessons disguised as a boy and working as a pioneering air hostess on the treacherous British South American Airways routes.
In 2019, Virgin Atlantic became the first UK airline to announce a firm order for up to 16 Airbus A330neos, reaffirming its commitment to flying the cleanest, greenest fleet in the sky. The airline currently operates three other A330neos, named Billie Holiday (G-VJAZ), Space Oddity (G-VTOM) and Eliza Doolittle (G-VLDY.)
ENDS
For further information please contact the Virgin Atlantic Press Office on press.office@fly.virgin.come or call 01293 747 373.
About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2022, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain’s only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the sixth year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs over 7,500 people worldwide, flying customers to 28 destinations across four continents. Virgin Atlantic recently continued its expansion in the US, announcing a new route to Tampa from November 2022, following the launch of flights to Austin in May 2022.
Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. On 3 February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers. Virgin Atlantic is also set to join the global airline alliance SkyTeam in 2023. Virgin Atlantic will become SkyTeam’s first and only UK member airline, enhancing the alliance’s transatlantic network and services to and from Heathrow and Manchester Airport.
Sustainability remains central to the airline, which is committed to achieving net zero by 2050. To meet this goal, Virgin Atlantic welcomed the first of 16 A330-900neos in October 2022. The A330-900neos are equipped with the most fuel-efficient engines and designed to be 11% more fuel and carbon efficient than the A330-300s that they replace and deliver a 50% reduction in airport noise contour. These investments reaffirm the airline’s dedication to flying one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the skies, resulting in the reduction of carbon emissions by 20%, increasing to 30% in 2027.
For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic.
- The airline’s newest plane, an Airbus A330neo, is set to honour Queen Elizabeth II
- Named ‘Queen of the Skies,’ the aircraft will also feature the registration G-VEII
- The plane will enter service in April this year, flying from London Heathrow to destinations including Miami, New York and Tampa
Virgin Atlantic has named its newest aircraft in honour of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. The airline’s brand-new Airbus A330neo will have the name ‘Queen of the Skies’ with royal registration G-VEII, in tribute to the late monarch.
The move marks the second time the Queen of the Skies moniker has been used on a Virgin Atlantic aircraft. Back in 2004, her late majesty unveiled an Airbus A340-600 with the same name at a ceremony in Toulouse. The event was part of a state visit to France to celebrate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale.
Corneel Koster, Chief Customer and Operations Officer, Virgin Atlantic, commented;
“Just like Queen Elizabeth during her historic 70-year reign, Virgin Atlantic is proud to fly the flag for the United Kingdom around the world. We’re delighted to soon be welcoming ‘Queen of the Skies’ to our fleet and hope that it serves as a fitting tribute to an unforgettable, much-loved monarch.”
Positioned at the front of the aircraft, the Queen of the Skies dedication sits above one of Virgin Atlantic’s famous flying mascots. The highflyers are a diverse range of men and women representing modern Britain.
Virgin Atlantic has a long history of naming its planes after famous, strong women, including ‘Diana’ in tribute to Princess Diana. Accompanying ‘Queen of the Skies’ in Virgin Atlantic’s current fleet include ‘Lady Emmeline’ (G-VLIB), which pays homage to the founder of the Suffragette movement and women’s rights activist, Emmeline Pankhurst. ‘Fearless Lady’ (G-VEVE) celebrates the life of the mother of the airline’s founder, Eve Branson. Described as “an entrepreneur before the word existed”, Eve led a colourful life which included enlisting in the WRENS during World War II, taking gliding lessons disguised as a boy and working as a pioneering air hostess on the treacherous British South American Airways routes.
In 2019, Virgin Atlantic became the first UK airline to announce a firm order for up to 16 Airbus A330neos, reaffirming its commitment to flying the cleanest, greenest fleet in the sky. The airline currently operates three other A330neos, named Billie Holiday (G-VJAZ), Space Oddity (G-VTOM) and Eliza Doolittle (G-VLDY.)
ENDS
For further information please contact the Virgin Atlantic Press Office on press.office@fly.virgin.come or call 01293 747 373.
About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2022, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain’s only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the sixth year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs over 7,500 people worldwide, flying customers to 28 destinations across four continents. Virgin Atlantic recently continued its expansion in the US, announcing a new route to Tampa from November 2022, following the launch of flights to Austin in May 2022.
Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. On 3 February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers. Virgin Atlantic is also set to join the global airline alliance SkyTeam in 2023. Virgin Atlantic will become SkyTeam’s first and only UK member airline, enhancing the alliance’s transatlantic network and services to and from Heathrow and Manchester Airport.
Sustainability remains central to the airline, which is committed to achieving net zero by 2050. To meet this goal, Virgin Atlantic welcomed the first of 16 A330-900neos in October 2022. The A330-900neos are equipped with the most fuel-efficient engines and designed to be 11% more fuel and carbon efficient than the A330-300s that they replace and deliver a 50% reduction in airport noise contour. These investments reaffirm the airline’s dedication to flying one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the skies, resulting in the reduction of carbon emissions by 20%, increasing to 30% in 2027.
For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic.