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The continued presence of the airplanes, a tour staple since
1984, had been in doubt since a partnership that owned them said
last July their agreement with Elvis Presley Enterprises was
expiring this month and they could be removed.
Graceland said in a statement on Sunday it was "pleased an
agreement has been reached" and the airplanes would remain on
permanent display. It released no other details.
Elvis' daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who owns the Graceland
mansion, said on Twitter the airplanes would remain at Graceland
forever. "We own them and have fun plans 4 them as well,"
Presley tweeted.
Last July, K.G. Coker, a member of the partnership, said the
group was prepared to sell the airplanes if they went off
display. He could not be reached for comment on Monday.
Under its previous agreement, the partnership received a small
percentage of the profits from ticket sales to tour Graceland,
where the "king of rock 'n' roll" lived. Elvis died there in
1977.
The larger airplane, a Convair 880 four-engine jet, was named
for Lisa Marie and is a little smaller than a Boeing 707. The
smaller Hound Dog II is a JetStar.
More than half a million people visit Graceland each year, where
admission tickets to tour the mansions and airplanes cost $45
for adults.
(Reporting by Tim Ghianni in Nashville, Tennessee; Writing by
David Bailey; Editing by Eric Beech)
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