Latest news with #Boeing747-400


The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
IndiGo names ex-Shell India chief Mehta as chairman, onboards KLM's Dortmans
IndiGo on Wednesday announced the appointment of Vikram Singh Mehta as the Chairman of the Board as well as KLM's top engineering executive Ton Dortmans to support the induction of Airbus A350s that would join the fleet from 2027 apart from building the airline's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) strategy. Mr. Mehta succeeds Venkataramani Sumantran who stepped down from the post after completion of his five-year term as a board member. Mr. Mehta has been a Member of the Board of InterGlobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo) since May 2022. He is the Chairman of the public policy think tank 'Centre for Social and Economic Progress', and former Executive Chairman of Brookings India and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution. He has also helmed the Shell Group of Companies in India as Chairman. Ton Dortmans, KLM's Executive Vice President Engineering & Maintenance, will join IndiGo in mid-August after retiring from the Dutch airline this summer upon turning 60. At KLM, he served for 40 years and also oversaw the induction of the 'jumbo jets' or the Boeing 747-400 aircraft.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iron Maiden's plane has been cut into pieces and put up for sale
Editor's note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel's weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay. English heavy metal band Iron Maiden once sang, 'Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter,' but when it comes to dismantling the band's Boeing 747-400 tour plane, it's a little more complicated. German company Aviationtag, which specializes in upcycling scrapped airplanes, has created a limited run of one-of-a-kind tags made from the fuselage of Ed Force One, the moniker given the plane that served the band on its 2016 Book of Souls world tour. The tail fin was decorated with the image of Eddie, Iron Maiden's zombie-like mascot, but it's now the plane's turn to be dismembered and then resurrected. Each tag, which can be used as a keychain or simply as a collector's item, is made from the plane's white fuselage. 'To create color variations, we also incorporated material from the blue tail fin, which had up to nine layers of paint applied over time,' Aviationtag's chief commercial officer Tobia Richter tells CNN. They're sized around 1.5 by 3.5 inches (35 by 88 millimeters) and retail at €66.66 (around $73) on Aviationtag's website. The price point, of course, is a nod to 666 and the Iron Maiden hit, 'The Number of the Beast.' A Boeing 747-400 is a full 71 meters (230 feet) in length, so, in theory, Ed Force One could be turned into up to 100,000 tags, explains Ricther, but their preference is to keep things to a limited run. Aviationtag has been upcycling aviation materials since 2006, and has turned everything from commercial craft like the Airbus A380 to military planes such as the DC-3 'candy bomber' into collector's items. 'We want to keep offering our fans and collectors new aircraft from different airlines, rather than making massive editions from just one plane,' says Richter. 'That's why we prefer smaller, exclusive editions from a wider variety of aircraft, ensuring each tag remains truly special.' On Ed Force One, 'in some areas, we even discovered gold-colored paint beneath the layers, adding an extra touch of uniqueness to this edition,' Richter adds, explaining that the gold versions will be released at a later date. The full process of creating the tags takes several weeks. 'After cutting the panels, we move on to cutting them into strips, punching, deburring, cleaning, laser engraving the front, engraving the back, cleaning again, attaching the ring and chain, and finally mounting the tag on the cardboard,' says Richter. The full process can be seen in Aviationtag's 'Making of' video. According to the aircraft was delivered to Air France in 2003 under the registration F-GITH, before going to Air Atlanta Icelandic in 2015 as TF-AAK. It also did a brief stint with Saudi Arabia Airlines before eventually being withdrawn from use in 2022 and broken up at Cotswold Airport in the UK in 2024. Bruce Dickinson, frontman of Iron Maiden, is a licensed pilot whose passion for aviation is well known. Having flown Ed Force One himself, he said in a press release, 'She always behaved like the Queen of the Skies that the 747 will always be. There will never be another to occupy her throne. The power, the noise of those 4 engines, the featherlight touchdowns (not my fault — blame good design) and her airborne elegance put the 747 in a uniquecategory.' Like what you just read? Here are more of our recent travel stories, from a Texan woman who moved to France in her 70s and is loving every minute, to Time Out's pick of the best foodie destinations for 2025. unknown content item - A golden rule of travel should be 'leave room in your suitcase — but also your belly.' Feasting on local delights is the glorious reward that follows a few hours' sightseeing in a new locale. To aid your next culinary adventure, publishing giant Time Out has just released its list of the best cities in which to eat. New Orleans came out on top in its global survey of more than 18,500 people, thanks to its culinary blend of French, Spanish, Vietnamese and African influences. These are deliciously manifested in treats such as gumbo, jambalaya and beignets. The No. 2 spot went to Bangkok, Thailand, with its glorious food scene covering everything from Michelin-starred fine dining such as the acclaimed restaurant Gaggan Anand to a multitude of markets with $3 street-food stars. At No. 3, Medellín, Colombia, impressed Time Out's readers with its affordability and cheap coffee. In South Africa's Cape Town, at No. 4, locals love the coastal city's diverse food offerings, particularly the seafood. Madrid's flourishing food scene (at No. 5) is both 'diverse' and 'experimental,' say locals, and in recent years Mexico City (No. 6) has become a top destination for international foodies in the know. Jollof rice and smoky suya fuel locals in the vibrant Nigerian city of Lagos (at No. 7). In Shanghai, China, at No. 8, thousands of years of food history have been perfected in today's adventurous culinary scene. France is the birthplace of haute cuisine so it's only fitting that the French capital is in the top 10 at No. 9. The leaderboard is filled out by Jakarta at No. 10. CNN readers once voted rendang the most delicious food in the world, but it's just one of the many lip-smacking dishes Indonesia has to offer. These are the rest of the cities in the top 20: Marrakech, Morocco (No. 11). Lima, Peru (No. 12). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (No. 13). Mumbai, India (No. 14). Abu Dhabi, UAE (No. 15). Cairo (No. 16). Porto, Portugal (No. 17). Montreal (No. 18). Naples, Italy (No. 19). San José, Costa Rica (No. 20). A few years back, Texan Janice Deerwester decided she wanted more from life. So, in her 70s, she moved to France for a new life in Fontainebleau, just outside Paris. 'I'm just blessed every day that I get to live here,' she tells CNN. A vast undersea tunnel is being built that will change the road and rail map of Europe. The engineering marvel is unfolding under the Baltic Sea. 'White Lotus' Season 3 promises to lure more travelers to Thailand. These are the locations featured on the hit show. Four friends went on vacation. Then they recreated a favorite photo from 35 years ago. There's science behind airplane de-icing. A mechanical engineer explains.


CNN
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Iron Maiden's plane has been broken into parts and put up for sale
English heavy metal band Iron Maiden once sang, 'Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter,' but when it comes to dismantling the band's Boeing 747-400 tour plane, it's a little more complicated. German company Aviationtag, which specializes in upcycling scrapped airplanes, has created a limited run of one-of-a-kind tags made from the fuselage of Ed Force One, the moniker given the plane that served the band on its 2016 Book of Souls world tour. The tail fin was decorated with the image of Eddie, Iron Maiden's zombie-like mascot, but it's now the plane's turn to be dismembered and then resurrected. Each tag, which can be used as a keychain or simply as a collector's item, is made from the plane's white fuselage. 'To create color variations, we also incorporated material from the blue tail fin, which had up to nine layers of paint applied over time,' Aviationtag's chief commercial officer Tobia Richter tells CNN. They're sized around 1.5 by 3.5 inches (35 by 88 millimeters) and retail at €66.66 (around $73) on Aviationtag's website. The price point, of course, is a nod to 666 and the Iron Maiden hit, 'The Number of the Beast.' A Boeing 747-400 is a full 71 meters (230 feet) in length, so, in theory, Ed Force One could be turned into up to 100,000 tags, explains Ricther, but their preference is to keep things to a limited run. Aviationtag has been upcycling aviation materials since 2006, and has turned everything from commercial craft like the Airbus A380 to military planes such as the DC-3 'candy bomber' into collector's items. 'We want to keep offering our fans and collectors new aircraft from different airlines, rather than making massive editions from just one plane,' says Richter. 'That's why we prefer smaller, exclusive editions from a wider variety of aircraft, ensuring each tag remains truly special.' On Ed Force One, 'in some areas, we even discovered gold-colored paint beneath the layers, adding an extra touch of uniqueness to this edition,' Richter adds, explaining that the gold versions will be released at a later date. The full process of creating the tags takes several weeks. 'After cutting the panels, we move on to cutting them into strips, punching, deburring, cleaning, laser engraving the front, engraving the back, cleaning again, attaching the ring and chain, and finally mounting the tag on the cardboard,' says Richter. The full process can be seen in Aviationtag's 'Making of' video. According to the aircraft was delivered to Air France in 2003 under the registration F-GITH, before going to Air Atlanta Icelandic in 2015 as TF-AAK. It also did a brief stint with Saudi Arabia Airlines before eventually being withdrawn from use in 2022 and broken up at Cotswold Airport in the UK in 2024. Bruce Dickinson, frontman of Iron Maiden, is a licensed pilot whose passion for aviation is well known. Having flown Ed Force One himself, he said in a press release, 'She always behaved like the Queen of the Skies that the 747 will always be. There will never be another to occupy her throne. The power, the noise of those 4 engines, the featherlight touchdowns (not my fault — blame good design) and her airborne elegance put the 747 in a uniquecategory.' Like what you just read? Here are more of our recent travel stories, from a Texan woman who moved to France in her 70s and is loving every minute, to Time Out's pick of the best foodie destinations for 2025. Prev Next A golden rule of travel should be 'leave room in your suitcase — but also your belly.' Feasting on local delights is the glorious reward that follows a few hours' sightseeing in a new locale. To aid your next culinary adventure, publishing giant Time Out has just released its list of the best cities in which to eat. New Orleans came out on top in its global survey of more than 18,500 people, thanks to its culinary blend of French, Spanish, Vietnamese and African influences. These are deliciously manifested in treats such as gumbo, jambalaya and beignets. The No. 2 spot went to Bangkok, Thailand, with its glorious food scene covering everything from Michelin-starred fine dining such as the acclaimed restaurant Gaggan Anand to a multitude of markets with $3 street-food stars. At No. 3, Medellín, Colombia, impressed Time Out's readers with its affordability and cheap coffee. In South Africa's Cape Town, at No. 4, locals love the coastal city's diverse food offerings, particularly the seafood. Madrid's flourishing food scene (at No. 5) is both 'diverse' and 'experimental,' say locals, and in recent years Mexico City (No. 6) has become a top destination for international foodies in the know. Jollof rice and smoky suya fuel locals in the vibrant Nigerian city of Lagos (at No. 7). In Shanghai, China, at No. 8, thousands of years of food history have been perfected in today's adventurous culinary scene. France is the birthplace of haute cuisine so it's only fitting that the French capital is in the top 10 at No. 9. The leaderboard is filled out by Jakarta at No. 10. CNN readers once voted rendang the most delicious food in the world, but it's just one of the many lip-smacking dishes Indonesia has to offer. These are the rest of the cities in the top 20: Marrakech, Morocco (No. 11). Lima, Peru (No. 12). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (No. 13). Mumbai, India (No. 14). Abu Dhabi, UAE (No. 15). Cairo (No. 16). Porto, Portugal (No. 17). Montreal (No. 18). Naples, Italy (No. 19). San José, Costa Rica (No. 20). A few years back, Texan Janice Deerwester decided she wanted more from life. So, in her 70s, she moved to France for a new life in Fontainebleau, just outside Paris. 'I'm just blessed every day that I get to live here,' she tells CNN. A vast undersea tunnel is being built that will change the road and rail map of Europe. The engineering marvel is unfolding under the Baltic Sea. 'White Lotus' Season 3 promises to lure more travelers to Thailand. These are the locations featured on the hit show. Four friends went on vacation. Then they recreated a favorite photo from 35 years ago. There's science behind airplane de-icing. A mechanical engineer explains.


CNN
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Iron Maiden's plane has been broken into parts and put up for sale
English heavy metal band Iron Maiden once sang, 'Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter,' but when it comes to dismantling the band's Boeing 747-400 tour plane, it's a little more complicated. German company Aviationtag, which specializes in upcycling scrapped airplanes, has created a limited run of one-of-a-kind tags made from the fuselage of Ed Force One, the moniker given the plane that served the band on its 2016 Book of Souls world tour. The tail fin was decorated with the image of Eddie, Iron Maiden's zombie-like mascot, but it's now the plane's turn to be dismembered and then resurrected. Each tag, which can be used as a keychain or simply as a collector's item, is made from the plane's white fuselage. 'To create color variations, we also incorporated material from the blue tail fin, which had up to nine layers of paint applied over time,' Aviationtag's chief commercial officer Tobia Richter tells CNN. They're sized around 1.5 by 3.5 inches (35 by 88 millimeters) and retail at €66.66 (around $73) on Aviationtag's website. The price point, of course, is a nod to 666 and the Iron Maiden hit, 'The Number of the Beast.' A Boeing 747-400 is a full 71 meters (230 feet) in length, so, in theory, Ed Force One could be turned into up to 100,000 tags, explains Ricther, but their preference is to keep things to a limited run. Aviationtag has been upcycling aviation materials since 2006, and has turned everything from commercial craft like the Airbus A380 to military planes such as the DC-3 'candy bomber' into collector's items. 'We want to keep offering our fans and collectors new aircraft from different airlines, rather than making massive editions from just one plane,' says Richter. 'That's why we prefer smaller, exclusive editions from a wider variety of aircraft, ensuring each tag remains truly special.' On Ed Force One, 'in some areas, we even discovered gold-colored paint beneath the layers, adding an extra touch of uniqueness to this edition,' Richter adds, explaining that the gold versions will be released at a later date. The full process of creating the tags takes several weeks. 'After cutting the panels, we move on to cutting them into strips, punching, deburring, cleaning, laser engraving the front, engraving the back, cleaning again, attaching the ring and chain, and finally mounting the tag on the cardboard,' says Richter. The full process can be seen in Aviationtag's 'Making of' video. According to the aircraft was delivered to Air France in 2003 under the registration F-GITH, before going to Air Atlanta Icelandic in 2015 as TF-AAK. It also did a brief stint with Saudi Arabia Airlines before eventually being withdrawn from use in 2022 and broken up at Cotswold Airport in the UK in 2024. Bruce Dickinson, frontman of Iron Maiden, is a licensed pilot whose passion for aviation is well known. Having flown Ed Force One himself, he said in a press release, 'She always behaved like the Queen of the Skies that the 747 will always be. There will never be another to occupy her throne. The power, the noise of those 4 engines, the featherlight touchdowns (not my fault — blame good design) and her airborne elegance put the 747 in a uniquecategory.' Like what you just read? Here are more of our recent travel stories, from a Texan woman who moved to France in her 70s and is loving every minute, to Time Out's pick of the best foodie destinations for 2025. Prev Next A golden rule of travel should be 'leave room in your suitcase — but also your belly.' Feasting on local delights is the glorious reward that follows a few hours' sightseeing in a new locale. To aid your next culinary adventure, publishing giant Time Out has just released its list of the best cities in which to eat. New Orleans came out on top in its global survey of more than 18,500 people, thanks to its culinary blend of French, Spanish, Vietnamese and African influences. These are deliciously manifested in treats such as gumbo, jambalaya and beignets. The No. 2 spot went to Bangkok, Thailand, with its glorious food scene covering everything from Michelin-starred fine dining such as the acclaimed restaurant Gaggan Anand to a multitude of markets with $3 street-food stars. At No. 3, Medellín, Colombia, impressed Time Out's readers with its affordability and cheap coffee. In South Africa's Cape Town, at No. 4, locals love the coastal city's diverse food offerings, particularly the seafood. Madrid's flourishing food scene (at No. 5) is both 'diverse' and 'experimental,' say locals, and in recent years Mexico City (No. 6) has become a top destination for international foodies in the know. Jollof rice and smoky suya fuel locals in the vibrant Nigerian city of Lagos (at No. 7). In Shanghai, China, at No. 8, thousands of years of food history have been perfected in today's adventurous culinary scene. France is the birthplace of haute cuisine so it's only fitting that the French capital is in the top 10 at No. 9. The leaderboard is filled out by Jakarta at No. 10. CNN readers once voted rendang the most delicious food in the world, but it's just one of the many lip-smacking dishes Indonesia has to offer. These are the rest of the cities in the top 20: Marrakech, Morocco (No. 11). Lima, Peru (No. 12). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (No. 13). Mumbai, India (No. 14). Abu Dhabi, UAE (No. 15). Cairo (No. 16). Porto, Portugal (No. 17). Montreal (No. 18). Naples, Italy (No. 19). San José, Costa Rica (No. 20). A few years back, Texan Janice Deerwester decided she wanted more from life. So, in her 70s, she moved to France for a new life in Fontainebleau, just outside Paris. 'I'm just blessed every day that I get to live here,' she tells CNN. A vast undersea tunnel is being built that will change the road and rail map of Europe. The engineering marvel is unfolding under the Baltic Sea. 'White Lotus' Season 3 promises to lure more travelers to Thailand. These are the locations featured on the hit show. Four friends went on vacation. Then they recreated a favorite photo from 35 years ago. There's science behind airplane de-icing. A mechanical engineer explains.