Heathrow’s famous green firefighter training rig replaced by new A380 simulator

A green firefighter training rig located at London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) modeled on a Boeing 747 and DC-10 and nicknamed the ‘Jolly Green Giant’ is in the process of being replaced.

The Jolly Green Giant has become somewhat of an icon among residents in West London and those arriving and departing from Heathrow mainly due to the mystery behind its purpose.

Over the years the firefighter training rig has prompted debate about what it’s for with some describing it as a rusty, abandoned aircraft with no windows.

On December 22, 2025, Heathrow Airport confirmed that the green firefighter training rig had reached the end of its life and had been dismantled after years of being set on fire.

In a video, Heathrow’s Project Manager, Azad Batth, explained that a plan was launched to provide the airport fire service with a new modern training simulator.

Heathrow AirportThe new rig has the fuselage of an Airbus A380, the world’s largest commercial jet, with one side of the rig resembling the superjumbo and the other a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

“Its purpose built to meet the demands of modern firefighting needs. It provides a number of firefighting scenarios, much improved over the previous rig. It has external and internal fires, for example engine, landing gear, running fuel spill, cockpit and overhead locker that will allow the airport fire and rescue to carry out training scenarios,” said Batth.

He added: “This ensures that firefighters maintain their skills and are adhering to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) mandated training requirements.”

According to Batth, the new training rig was built in Derby and has been transported to Heathrow in sections by road.

Each section is around four meters in diameter and can be up to 14 meters in length, with some parts weighing up to 14 tons.

Azad Batth, Project Manager in Heathrow’s Infrastructure Solutions team, gives us the inside scoop on the new fire training rig plane making its way from Derby to Heathrow – piece by piece!This plane simulator mimics an A380, the largest aircraft that Heathrow operates, and… pic.twitter.com/watA7w1OLG— HeathrowNews (@HeathrowNews) December 22, 2025 “The planning that has been involved to get those sections here has been meticulous. It has involved a number of agencies such as the Highways Agency, the Police and other airport stakeholders,” said Batth.

He added: “The rig will be used by the airport fire and rescue to maintain the competencies, and it will ensure our airport stakeholders, airlines and our passengers remain safe.”

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