Lolita Express

Lolita Express
Pictured Boeing 727, an aircraft similar to the one Jeffrey Epstein owned
General information
TypeBoeing 727-100
Owners1969–1979 TWA
2001–2016 JEGE, Inc. (Jeffrey Epstein)[1]
RegistrationN908JE
History
First flightJune 25, 1969 (with TWA)[1]
Last flightSeptember 17, 2024 – September 30, 2031, per FAA Registration date.[2]
FateSold and scrapped[2][3]

The "Lolita Express" is the nickname used in the media for a Boeing 727-100 aircraft that was owned by Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein traveled in the airplane frequently, logging "600 flying hours a year ... usually with guests on board".[4] Epstein sold the aircraft in 2017.[3] The aircraft was registered N908JE and owned by JEGE, Inc.[5][1]

The media nickname derives from Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel about a man's obsession with and victimization of a 12-year-old girl, Lolita.[6]

As of 2026, the jet has spent a decade in storage at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport in Georgia.[7]

Aircraft

Boeing 727-100 (registration N908JE, serial number 20115) was a VIP-configured aircraft featuring a 29-passenger interior. As of late 2007, the airframe had logged 33,555 flight hours and 22,282 cycles. The aircraft underwent a performance upgrade via a engine conversion, utilizing two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 engines in the outboard positions and a JT8D-7B in the center. It was further modified with Winglet Systems Inc. winglets, RVSM approval, and long-range fuel tanks, bringing its maximum takeoff weight to 174,500 lbs.[8][9]

The custom "Exogrid" modular interior included a forward salon with a home theater, a mid-cabin lounge and galley, and a private aft stateroom equipped with a queen-size bed and an en-suite lavatory featuring a European-style shower. Technical upgrades included a Honeywell EFIS flight deck, TCAS II, and dual Universal GPS/FMS systems. The aircraft was maintained under an MSG-3 program.[8][9]

The airplane had a Bloomberg Terminal installed so Epstein could work while onboard.

Notable guests and flights

In September 2002, Epstein flew Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, and Chris Tucker to Africa in this jet.[10][11][12] Flight records obtained in 2016 show Clinton flew 27 times on the same jet to at least a dozen international locations.[13] Flight logs do not list any Secret Service detail for at least five flights on a 2002 trip to Asia,[13] and the Secret Service has stated that there is no evidence of the former president making a trip to Epstein's private island.[13] In 2019, a Clinton spokesperson stated that, in 2002 and 2003, Clinton took four trips on Epstein's airplane, making stops on three continents, all with his staff and Secret Service detail.[14] At the time of Epstein's 2019 arrest, Clinton's spokeswoman Angel Ureña stated that Clinton had "not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade, and has never been to Little Saint James, Epstein's ranch in New Mexico, or his residence in Florida".[15][16]

In 2009, Epstein's brother Mark Epstein claimed Donald Trump had flown on the plane at least once. He later told The Washington Post that Trump flew "numerous times" on Epstein's airplane, although Mark was present on only one of the flights.[17][18][19] According to Michael Corcoran, Trump flew Epstein on his own airplane at least once.[20] In a conversation with author Michael Wolff recorded in 2017, Epstein claimed that Trump and his third wife Melania Trump had sexual intercourse for the first time onboard the aircraft.[21] Nadia Marcinko was a regular traveller with Epstein on the aircraft.[22]

In 2011, The Daily Telegraph reported that the plane had once landed at the Royal Air Force station, RAF Marham.[23] It has been alleged that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor "pulled strings" so that Epstein could use the RAF base.[24]

Former Colombian president Andrés Pastrana Arango has said that, in 2003, he flew to Cuba with Epstein aboard his plane at the invitation of Cuban president Fidel Castro.[25]

Other notable passengers who travelled on the aircraft included businessman Ron Burkle, model Naomi Campbell, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, and the former United States Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers.[26][27][28][29] Epstein sold the aircraft in 2017 and it was subsequently scrapped.[3]

Epstein also owned a Gulfstream G550 jet,[3] a twin-engine Cessna 421 and a private helicopter.

Allegations of sex crimes on board

Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre alleged being raped on the plane by Alan Dershowitz, which Dershowitz denied as an "outrageous lie".[30] Giuffre later retracted her allegations against Dershowitz in 2022.[31]

References

  1. ^ a b c "N908JE – JEGE Inc (727-031)". www.planelogger.com. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "N908JE". Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d Tait, Robert (August 13, 2024). "Donald Trump used Jeffrey Epstein's former jet for campaign appearances". The Guardian. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  4. ^ Sisak, Michael R.; Tucker, Eric; Richer, Alanna Durkin (December 2025). "Justice Department releases limited set of files tied to Epstein sex trafficking investigation". Associated Press. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  5. ^ Trotter, J. K. (July 13, 2019). "Flight data from Jeffrey Epstein's private jets show a lavish travel schedule as the walls closed in". Business Insider. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  6. ^ Isaacs, Lily (February 14, 2026). "Reading Lolita on Epstein Island". New Statesman. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  7. ^ Van Brimmer, Adam (March 11, 2026). "Why is Jeffrey Epstein's 'Lolita Express' jet parked on Georgia's coast?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  8. ^ a b "Boeing 727-100 Jet Aircraft For Sale At Controller.com". www.controller.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  9. ^ a b "N908JE | BOEING 727 100 on Aircraft.com". Aircraft.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2026. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  10. ^ Thomas, Landon Jr. (October 28, 2002). "Jeffrey Epstein: International Moneyman of Mystery". New York. Archived from the original on December 19, 2002. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  11. ^ "Jeffrey Epstein, friend of presidents and princes, charged with sex trafficking". France24. Reuters, AP. July 8, 2019. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  12. ^ Grierson, Jamie (December 16, 2025). "Nearly 90 flights linked to Epstein 'came to or from UK airports'". The Guardian. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  13. ^ a b c Zimmerman, Malia (May 13, 2016). "Flight logs show Bill Clinton flew on sex offender's jet much more than previously known". Fox News. Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2016. 26 trips aboard the "Lolita Express" – even apparently ditching his Secret Service detail for at least five of the flights.
  14. ^ Colvin, Jill (July 9, 2019). "What did Jeffrey Epstein's famous friends know and see?". Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  15. ^ Morin, Rebecca (July 10, 2019). "Spokesman: Bill Clinton 'knows nothing' about 'terrible crimes' alleged against Epstein". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 28, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  16. ^ Farrell, Greg (July 9, 2019). "If You Flew Epstein's 'Lolita Express' Private Jet—the Feds Want to Talk to You". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  17. ^ Reinhard, Beth; Helderman, Rosalind S.; Fisher, Marc (July 31, 2019). "Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein partied together. Then an oceanfront Palm Beach mansion came between them". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 1, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  18. ^ Fahrenthold, David A.; Reinhard, Beth; Kindy, Kimberly (July 8, 2019). "Trump called Epstein a 'terrific guy' who enjoyed 'younger' women before denying relationship with him". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 1, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019. Epstein's brother, Mark, recalled in 2009 that Trump had flown on Epstein's plane at least once
  19. ^ Heath, Brad; Cowan, Richard; Acharya, Bhargav (December 23, 2025). "Trump flew on Epstein jet eight times in the 1990s, according to prosecutor email". Reuters. Retrieved January 8, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  20. ^ Walsh, James D. (July 15, 2019). "Remembering the Time Jeffrey Epstein Rode on Donald Trump's Plane". New York. Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  21. ^ Dougherty, Hugh (January 2, 2024). "Donald Trump Flights on Jeffrey Epstein's 'Lolita Express'—What We Know". The Guardian. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  22. ^ Heffernan, Virginia (July 23, 2019). "The Twisted Flight Paths of 'Global Girl' and the Lolita Express". Wired. Retrieved July 26, 2019.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  23. ^ Gordon Rayner (February 4, 2026). "Epstein angered by Telegraph report exposing flights to RAF bases". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  24. ^ Gareth Corfield (February 1, 2026). "Andrew pulled strings so Epstein could use RAF bases for private jet". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  25. ^ Santiago, Fabiola (August 16, 2019). "A match made in hell: Epstein, Fidel Castro, and the Lolita Express that flew to Cuba". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  26. ^ Einbinder, Nicole. "From Bill Clinton to Naomi Campbell: Here are some of the famous people who have flown on Jeffrey Epstein's private plane, which has been dubbed the 'Lolita Express'". Business Insider. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  27. ^ Bryant, Nick (January 22, 2015). "Flight Logs Put Clinton, Dershowitz on Pedophile Billionaire's Sex Jet". Gawker. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  28. ^ Whalen, Andrew (July 9, 2019). "What Is Jeffrey Epstein's Lolita Express?". Newsweek. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  29. ^ J425. "UPDATED: Epstein Client List: View and Download Jeffrey Epstein's Black Book + 2019 Federal Court Discovery File (new) + Lolita Express Flight Logs (Authenticated by FBI Affidavit)". The Journal 425. Retrieved February 12, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ Lodi, Marie (July 19, 2019). "What We Know About Jeffrey Epstein's Private Jet, the 'Lolita Express'". The Cut. Retrieved January 14, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  31. ^ Scannell, Kara (November 8, 2022). "Virginia Giuffre drops allegations against Alan Dershowitz, saying she 'may have made a mistake'". CNN. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  • Media related to N908JE at Wikimedia Commons
  • Epstein flight manifests – via DocumentCloud