The once-luxurious private jet that transported disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his powerful associates across continents now sits abandoned in a southern US aircraft yard. Nearly a decade after its final flight, the 133-foot Boeing 727 — long known as the “Lolita Express”, is rotting in silence.
Lolita Express is one of the most disturbing proofs of Epstein’s trafficking operation. Prosecutors said it was used to move underage girls between his private properties in New York, Florida and the Caribbean, while victims described abuse occurring during flights. The jet’s private bedroom and secluded cabin layout, according to court filings and testimony, allowed exploitation to take place beyond public view.
According to the New York Post, parked outdoors among other retired aircraft, the jet’s white fuselage is streaked with grime and corrosion. Its engines were removed years ago, leaving the ageing airframe permanently grounded. The aircraft, approaching six decades old, will reportedly never fly again.
Mildew, insects and damp have overtaken plush carpets and wood-paneled walls. Former seating lounges, a galley kitchen and sleeping quarters remain intact but scattered with objects left behind after the jet’s last use.
Closets and cabinets still hold flight manuals, binders and cabin supplies. Paper napkins and placemats bearing the plane’s tail number remain stacked in storage compartments, reminders of the aircraft’s once-meticulous presentation for elite passengers.
Investigators and victims have previously said the jet was used during the trafficking of underage girls. One survivor, Virginia Giuffre, has said she was assaulted aboard the aircraft.
EERIE REMNANTS OF LIFE ON BOARD
Some of the most disturbing traces lie in the aircraft’s private spaces. Toiletries, grooming items and personal effects remain in bathroom cabinets and drawers. A dismantled satellite phone sits hidden in a nightstand. Towels, bedding and domestic items remain exactly where they were left.
The main sleeping area still contains a neatly arranged mattress beneath emergency oxygen masks, while nearby seating lounges are upholstered in deep red fabric that once gave the cabin a distinctive, theatrical appearance.
Records show the jet was acquired in 2001 by a company linked to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The ownership was changed shortly before Epstein’s 2019 arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges and has since passed through multiple aviation companies.
Despite earlier plans to dismantle the aircraft for scrap, it has remained intact in storage.
During Epstein’s rise as a financier, the jet transported business associates, celebrities and political figures along with the disgraced financer. Flight logs later became key evidence in scrutiny surrounding his network. Those named in logs have denied wrongdoing, and appearing on passenger records does not imply criminal involvement. Flight records and court documents have listed figures including former US President Bill Clinton, Britain’s ex-Prince Andrew and several other celebrities among passengers on Epstein’s jet.
The plane was nicknamed the “Lolita Express” due to allegations that Epstein trafficked underage girls aboard it. The name is a direct reference to Vladimir Nabokov’s 1955 novel Lolita, which depicts a middle-aged man’s obsession with a 12-year-old girl.
With inputs from agencies
