VH-VGC. Boeing 737-46M. c/n 28549-2844.

OO-VEC; C-GBIW; OK-CGT; VQ-BHZ.

 

This aircraft was ordered new by Virgin Express Airways, Belgium - ?

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Renton - December 12, 1996

First flown as OO-VEC - December 31, 1996

Powered by CFMI CFM-56-3C1 engines

Sold to Geonet Aviation Ltd - January 17, 1997

Entered onto the Belgian Aircraft Register as OO-VEC - January 17, 1997

Registered to Geonet Aviation Limited

Leassed to EBA / Virgin Express Airways as the registered operator

Accepted by Virgin Express Airways at Seattle (Boeing Field) - January 17, 1997

Departed Seattle (Boeing Field) on the ferry flight to Belgium - January 17, 1997

Arrived Brussels on completion of the ferry flight - January 18, 1997

Delivery route: Seattle - Iqaluit - Brussels

Operated its first revenue service Brussels - London (Heathrow) - January 19, 1997

Cancelled from the Belgian Aircraft Register - November 30, 1997

Leased to Air Transat, Canada - November 30, 1997

Entered onto the Canadian Aircraft Register as C-GBIW - November 30, 1997

It was operated in the asic Virgin Express livery with Air Transat titles

Returned to Virgin Express on termination of the lease - April 29, 1998

Cancelled from the Canadian Aircraft Register - April 29, 1998

Entered onto the Belgian Aircraft Register as OO-VEC - April 29, 1998

Leased to Air Transat, Canada - December 01, 1998

Cancelled from the Belgian Aircraft Register - December 01, 1998

Entered onto the Canadian Aircraft Register as C-GBIW - December 01, 1998

Was operated in the basic Virgin Express livery with Air Transat titles

Returned to Virgin Express on termination of the lease - April 30, 1999

Cancelled from the Canadian Aircraft Register - April 1999

Entered onto the Belgian Aircraft Register as OO-VEC - April 30, 1999

Leased to Air Transat, Canada - November 30, 1999

Entered onto the Canadian Aircraft Register as C-GBIW - November 1999

It was operated in basic Virgin Express livery with Air Transat titles

Returned to Virgin Express on termination of the lease - April 30, 2000

Cancelled from the Canadian Aircraft Register - April 30, 2000

Entered onto the Belgian Aircraft Register as OO-VEC - April 30, 2000

Departed Brussels on the ferry flight to Australia as OO-VEC as VX100P - November 14, 2000

Arrived Brisbane on completion of the ferry flight - November 17, 2000

Ferry route: Brussels - Luxor - Sharjah - Chennai - Kuala Lumpur - Darwin - Brisbane

Cancelled from the Belgian Aircraft Register - November 17, 2000

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-VGC - November 17, 2000

Leased to Virgin Blue Airlines Pty Ltd as the registered operator

Operated its first Virgin Blue revenue service - ?

Operated its final revenue service Townsville - Brisbane as DJ668 - February 20, 2002

Withdrawn from service and prepared for return to lessor on termination of the lease

Ferried Brisbane - Darwin - Kuala Lumpur - Dubai - Paphos - Amsterdam as DJ9000 - February 26 - 28, 2002

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - March 07, 2002

Entered onto the Belgian Aircraft Register as OO-VEC - March 07, 2002

Ferried Amsterdam (Schiphol) - Brussels in Virgin Blue livery as OO-VEC - March 18, 2002

Returned to service with Virgin Express on Brussels - Zurich - Brussels - March 19, 2002

Operated its final Virgin Express revenue service Brussels - Rome (Fiumicino) - Brussels - April 15, 2002

Ferried Brussels - Amsterdam (Schiphol) for maintenance and repaint - April 15, 2002

Cancelled from the Belgium Aircraft Register - May 24, 2002

Leased to C.S.A. Czech Airlines - May 24, 2002

Entered onto the Czech Aircraft Register as OK-CGT - May 24, 2002

The aircraft was named ‘Pisek’

Ferried Prague - Shannon for repainting - May 12, 2010

Ferried Shannon - Prague in an all-white livery for storage as CSA9383 - May 19, 2010

Cancelled from the Czech Aircraft Register - July 28, 2010

Leased to UTAir (Russia) - September 02, 2010

Entered onto the Bermudia Aircraft Register as VQ-BHZ - September 02, 2010

Ferried Prague - Khanty Mansiysk on delivery to UTAir - September 02, 2010

Aircraft was advertised for sale by Bristol Associates having flown 47,134.58 hours with 24,692 cycles - 2014

Current with UTAir

 

 

OO-VEC. Virgin Express - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, March 1997.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4621-643.)

C-GBIW. Air Transat - in the basic Virgin Express livery at an unknown airport, January 1998.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4621-657.)

C-GBIW. Air Transat - in the basic Virgin Express livery at Miami Fort Lauderdale Airport, February 1998.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4621-864.)

OO-VEC. Virgin Blue - in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, November 2000.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4621-070.)

OO-VEC. Virgin Blue - in the standard livery at Brussels Airport, April 2002.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4620-212.)

OO-VEC. Virgin Blue - in the standard livery at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, April 2002.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4621-642.)

OK-CGT. CSA Czech Airlines - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, June 2002.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4622-093.)

OK-CGT. CSA Czech Airlines - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, August 2002.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4621-656.)