Mystery 747 at LGW?
 

Ok, first ever post in the spotter's corner but I'm hoping someone knows what the paintscheme currently being applied to the 742 in the old BA Hangar at LGW is?

Is it an EUK aircraft? If so i can only imagine its for Austravel holidays.

Its been bugging me for the last couple of days now. Watched with great interest from the office though at what looked like about 100 sq feet of blue acrylics pasted onto the tail!

According to Gatwicks Spotter in Chief it is getting an "Olympics" special paint job.

I think its an Air Atlanta 742 being painted in th colours of welsh tour operator Travelcity Direct ready for their Orlando Sanford flights.

Approach_plate,

Unless they are having more than one - its not. I saw the travel city a/c at LGW on tuesday, and sure I saw it the week before too.

Could be the 2 747's AAI are using for the Olympics.

They are carrying the Torch ect.

There are two B742s painted in full TravelCity Direct livery, TF-ABA and TF-ABP. One operates out of LGW and the other from MAN.

The B747 in HGR 3 is TF-ARO operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic. The aircraft is ex Alitalia.

It is one of 2 B747's operating the "Olympic Torch Relay " for Athens 2004.

It has a super livery and will actually carry the Olympic Flame around the world. It also has been re-configged to have a lounge and bar in the nose. I have been on the aircraft and it looks great.

I understand it has been a partnership between Excel Aviation and Chapman Freeborn both based at LGW. Air Atlanta being part of the Excel Group.

The aircraft will be departing at 1900 utc on Tuesday 01 June.....

Get your camera's ready..... Its a one off.

Does this place exist ?? :)