VFAB due for refurbishment

I hear that VHOT is currently being retrofitted with suites and vport. Does anyone know when VFAB is scheduled for this same procedure?

Surely cant be too long away now. Afterall she is one of the oldest planes VS has flying!

Hi,
I heard that G-VFAB was to go in to refurbishment in June at the latest, but, as things are going, it will probably be sooner. As G-VFAB was the first 747-400 with Virgin in 1994 (after previously relying on 747-200s). I think this plane should be given suites before G-VXLG and G-VWOW as these planes, whilst having J2000 Upper Class seating, have V:Port or Odyssey, which are both fab systems, but VFAB has Arcadia with quite small screens. Can't wait until V:Port and Odyssey are the only entertainment systems left in the fleet!

Thanks for that Dan. I agree, i cant quite understand why the older planes are going to be the last to be converted to V.port and UCS. Whether its got to to do with taking longer due to the IFE change i dont know. Be interesting to find out though.

[Decker]

Complete guess - depending on time taken for rollout, an older plane might be decommissioned before it is converted thus saving a fit out?

There are no plans to get rid of any of the 747-400!!!

The plan was to do all Arcadia aircraft first but now it seems that Oydessy refit takes around 3 weeks and arcadia takes around 4 weeks.

They want to refit the aircraft as quickly as possible.

HOT is currently in should be flying early nexy month with suites and V-port throughout.

I have not heard which 400 is next !

[Decker]

That makes a lot more sense thanks!