Airline bids farewell to its jumbo jets by inviting fans for a business class lunch

 

 As the pandemic has continued to ravage the aviation industry, airlines worldwide have rushed to speed up the retirement programs of their aging Boeing 747 jumbo jets.
But while fliers might not be likely to get airborne with the "Queen of the Skies" again, one airline is giving her a proper send-off -- by allowing fans to come and spend the day with her before she's taken out of action.
Virgin Atlantic -- an airline that launched with a 747 flying from London to New York City -- is planning what it calls "the ultimate 747 experience" for fans of the aircraft on December 12 at Heathrow.
At the Virgin Atlantic hangar there, pilots, cabin crew and engineers, all of whom have worked with the 747, will welcome fans for a three-hour experience, starting with an access-all-areas tour, and even including a meal in Upper Class seats.