Yours for £11m – the unique jumbo jet with an extraordinary life story

Ever wondered how far aeroplanes travel in their life, not only in miles, but also in the roles they perform? And where do they eventually go – if not to die, then to retire or be reborn?

Modern aeroplanes, especially big jets, are complex commodities. Many ageing used planes wind up as listings on broking websites, reduced to technical descriptions. Some go on to museums; others are dismantled so that parts can be recycled or appear in films and TV shows.

The last new Boeing 747 rolled off the production line in 2022; many airlines have retired their fleets. I still look out for them when I find myself in an airport. The bulbous nose, the stylish girth, those magnificent wings. You just feel the senior ones deserve a good end-of-life.

But the story of one such 747 sits distinct from those of its peers – an up-and-down tale of corporate ambition, regional politics, mass tourism and VIP glamour – and, as the plane is not yet retired, we still don’t know how it will end. If you’ve got £11 million, perhaps a bespoke jumbo would suit you?

The jumbo in question is serial number 21961, the 27th 747SP to be built. Powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A engines, the SP was a shorter version of the wide-bodied airliner, designed to compete with the McDonnell Douglas DC10 and Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. The initials stand for “Special Performance”; designed for a longer range, it was the highest-flying subsonic passenger plane, with an operating ceiling of 45,100ft.

Conventional beginnings

Piloted out of the Boeing plant at Everett, Washington, on October 30 1979, it was entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N58201 and flew for the first time on December 2 1979. It was handed over to Trans World Airways (TWA) at Paine Field on April 14 of the following year – the airline’s second 747SP – configured to seat 31 first-class passengers on the main and upper deck sleeper seats and 259 economy class passengers on the lower deck.

TWA was always seeking to be ahead of the curve. In 1967, it was one of the first airlines to go all-jet, placing a booklet on passenger seats bearing the legend “Props Are For Boats”. The company had introduced the 747 to its fleet in 1970, one of the first airlines to adopt the cutting-edge aircraft.

N58201 started its working life in the most conventional way possible, deployed on the Boston-London service, one of TWA’s high-yield long-haul routes. It embodied the firm’s ambition to extract maximum value from premium transatlantic travel. This was an era when American carriers still dominated global aviation, and competition Stateside was turning fierce. During this democratic phase, the 747SP flew business travellers, families and members of corporate elites in fairly equal measure.

But the plane’s future was by no means secure. By 1971, TWA had 14 747s in service. But its planned routes to the Middle East had not been approved, and the three 747SPs were put on both transcontinental as well as transatlantic services. They were seen operating between San Francisco and Washington-Dulles, Los Angeles and Boston, and New York-JFK and Athens. Boston became the hub of the 747SP fleet, and in commemoration of Boston’s 350th birthday, the airline applied “Jubilee 350” and “Boston Express” legends just behind the nose.

In truth, TWA had only gone for the big Boeings, combined with its L-1011s, to show it could keep up with Pan Am, which had ordered 25 jumbos. But in an era of high fuel prices, a flight attendants’ strike and airline deregulation, passenger numbers were stubbornly low. Six TWA 747s were sold to the Iranian Air Force. It was decided the 747SPs were surplus to requirements. TWA sold off the three aircraft, and by early 1985 all had been removed from service.

‘A flying extension of court life’

But 21961 was soon back in the sky, this time registered as A6-SMR and operating VIP flights with Dubai Royal Air Wing, where it remained from 1994 until June 2007. Despite its flash-sounding name, this is a paramilitary airline serving the United Arab Emirates government. Nevertheless, it has its own VIP terminal on the south-east side of Dubai International (DXB), and its plane interiors are akin to oversized versions of luxury private jets – for the elite passengers, at least – with spacious business class sections for travelling aides and lackeys. Valuable horses and even camels are carried in the firm’s cargo planes.

For more than 20 years, the old Boston workhorse operated as a flying extension of court life, landing regularly at major European and American airports. Functioning as a mobile palace, the 747SP was an early example of a customised big jet – establishing a template for the Gulf region’s subsequent obsession with airborne (and airport lounge) grandeur.

No doubt the ultra-wealthy royals had seen lots of 747s visiting the Gulf during the seventies and eighties – including with TWA livery – and liked the idea of owning one, even as they grew what would become the Emirates airline behemoth. Indeed, in 1985, at the latter’s inception, a Boeing 727-200 was transferred over from Dubai Royal Air Wing. In 2000, Dubai Royal Air Wing acquired a 747-200 and would go on to expand and update its fleet, including two 747-400s and a Next Gen 737.

So, what became of the 747SP after its tenure as a flying palace? In 2007, it was acquired by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, who registered it as VP-BLK and employed it as a luxury, 60-passenger, long-range private shuttle for deep-pocketed tourists and executives between Las Vegas, Macau, and Singapore.

An offshoot of its casino business, the company refits the planes it buys to hit a décor style somewhere between sleek business and slick bling. There are lounges, beds and, naturally, tables for cocktails and cards. The VVIP 747 operated until May 2024. While it flew, it was one of only three active 747SPs in the world, with 18 in storage, one on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, and the rest scrapped, destroyed, or abandoned. 45 SPs were originally built, between 1974 and 1987.

‘Queen of the Skies’

In January, aircraft number 21961 – yes, it still has that number at least – was put up for sale by a dealer in Austin, Texas. The asking price is available on request, but a 1995 variant previously owned by the Qatari Royal Family was on sale at $15 million (£11 million). 

The sales pitch gushes, “Welcome to the ultimate executive jet. The iconic Boeing 747 – widely known as the ‘Queen of the Skies’ – revolutionised global air travel. Instantly recognisable by its distinctive upper-deck profile, the 747SP stands as a lasting symbol of engineering excellence, innovation, and architectural achievement.

“This Boeing 747SP is configured with an elegant executive interior and… comfortably accommodates up to 60 VIP passengers in a spacious, ultra-long-range cabin environment… Condition: Used.”

Used it certainly is – for a total of 28,064 hours in fact, and 6,650 landings. With all its safety and other certificates in order, the old bird, now almost half a century old, might have one final flight left in it. Perhaps it could carry food aid or doctors? Or will another company targeting high rollers turn it into a haute-altitude dining concept experience? John Travolta, a trained jumbo pilot, reportedly refused the offer of a former Qantas 747 because of the high maintenance costs. But that needn’t deter those with access to more substantial funds – and a very big hangar.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]