The Boeing 727-31, registered as N908JE, became one of the most infamous aircraft in American criminal history under its widely known nickname: the 'Lolita Express.' The four-engine jet, a commercial airliner converted for private use, served as Epstein's primary long-range transport between 1995 and 2013, connecting his network of properties in New York, Palm Beach, the US Virgin Islands, and international destinations including Paris, London, and various locations in Africa and the Middle East.

Flight logs for N908JE, maintained by the aircraft's pilots and later subpoenaed by federal investigators, documented hundreds of individual flights over nearly two decades. These logs recorded the names of passengers on each flight, creating a detailed record of who traveled aboard the aircraft and when. The passenger manifests became some of the most consequential evidence in the case, as they placed specific individuals at specific locations on specific dates — information that corroborated victim testimony and established patterns of travel.

The aircraft itself was a significant operational asset. A Boeing 727 configured for private use could accommodate dozens of passengers in a luxurious interior far removed from the plane's original commercial configuration. The range of the 727 — capable of transatlantic flights with fuel stops — allowed Epstein to move between his international properties without relying on commercial aviation, maintaining the privacy and control that characterized his operation.

Among the names appearing in the flight logs were numerous high-profile figures from politics, business, entertainment, and academia. The release of these logs, first through court proceedings and later through FOIA requests, generated enormous public interest and media coverage. While appearing on a flight manifest does not indicate knowledge of or participation in criminal activity, the logs became a primary source for investigating the scope of Epstein's social network and identifying potential witnesses.

Epstein also operated other aircraft, including a Gulfstream IV (N120JE) and a helicopter used for shorter transfers, particularly between St. Thomas airport and Little St. James Island. The Gulfstream was used for many of the same routes as the Boeing 727 and had its own set of flight logs that were similarly subpoenaed. Together, the flight records from Epstein's aircraft fleet provided investigators with a comprehensive picture of travel patterns spanning decades.

The aircraft's pilots, including Larry Visoski and David Rodgers, were deposed and testified in various legal proceedings. Their testimony provided context for the flight logs, including details about how passengers boarded, who arranged flights, and the general atmosphere aboard the aircraft. Rodgers maintained the detailed flight logs that became central evidence and testified about his observations during years of flying for Epstein.

Following Epstein's 2008 plea deal in Florida and his subsequent return to private life, the Boeing 727 was eventually retired and replaced by smaller aircraft. The flight logs from the 727 era, however, remained the most comprehensive record of Epstein's air travel network. When the SDNY opened its case in 2019, these historical logs were among the first materials subpoenaed, and they featured prominently in the indictment and subsequent Maxwell prosecution. The aircraft's nickname has become cultural shorthand for the transportation infrastructure that enabled Epstein's trafficking operation across state and international boundaries.