One of the last 747 jumbos flown by British Airways has been saved from the scrapyard, and will be converted into a cinema, museum and conference centre from next spring.
The "Queen of the Sky" will now sit at Cotswold Airport, Gloucestershire, after hundreds of aviation enthusiasts watched it leave London for the last time on October 7.
The exterior of the superjumbo will be maintained, but it will become a cinema, education centre and wedding venue.
The 25-year-old jet, registered G-CIVB, was delivered to the British flag carrier in February 1994.
It has completed 13,398 flights, amounting to more than 118,445 hours in the skies and flying nearly 97 million kilometres.
It completed its last flight from Miami to London Heathrow in April.
Boeing announced it would stop making 747 aircraft in July, as airlines look for newer and more fuel-efficient planes.
British Airways planned to retire its fleet of jumbos in 2024, but brought it forward after the Covid-19 pandemic devastated the airline industry.
The first 747 took flight in February 1969. The original "jumbo jet" could carry 550 passengers – significantly more than its competitors.
"It was with great sadness that we retired our two final 747s based at Heathrow, so we're glad Cotswold Airport is able to give one of these aircraft a new home and a new lease of life,” said Sean Doyle, the new chief executive of British Airways.
But Suzannah Harvey, chief executive Cotswold airport, said the move was "great news" for locals and visitors who wanted to see and experience the stalwart of the skies.
"There is such a huge amount of interest in her as British Airways' last commercially operated 747 and with the historic livery in which she is painted," Ms Harvey said.
"We've got a very good support network building already, which will help to maintain and preserve her for the future."
Aviation analysts believe that the old aircraft could be worth about $4.6 million.
Although the aircraft are not being made any more, there is still value to be derived from the machine’s parts, such as engines and landing gear.
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Age: 59
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Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
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Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
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Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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FIGHT NIGHT
Four title fights:
Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
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Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title
Six undercard bouts:
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Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
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- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
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Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
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Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
