Virgin names plane after Queen Elizabeth II

(CNN) — The phrase “queen of heaven” just took on another meaning.

The airline has occasionally named its planes after notable women in history, including British suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst, singer Billie Holiday and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Now, the airline’s brand new Airbus A330neo, with registration G-VEII, has been named Queen of the Sky in honor of the late King. The livery is painted with an image of a red-haired woman dressed in the Virgin’s trademark shade of red.

“Like Queen Elizabeth throughout her historic 70-year reign, Virgin Atlantic is proud to fly the flag for Britain around the world,” Virgin Atlantic chief customer and operations officer Cornell Coster said in a statement.

“We are delighted to soon welcome the ‘Queen of the Sky’ to our fleet and hope it is a fitting tribute to an unforgettable, much-loved monarch.”

Queen Elizabeth, who died in September 2022, traveled frequently during her reign and visited more than 120 countries.

Above: Queen of the Celestial Plane. Photo courtesy of Virgin Atlantic.