A grounded British Airways jet is set to become the country’s most luxurious event venue converted from an aircraft. Suzannah Harvey, ...
A grounded British Airways jet is set to become the country’s most luxurious event venue converted from an aircraft.
Suzannah Harvey, general manager of the private Cotswold Airport in the UK, bought a retired Boeing 747 for around $1.30 in October 2020.
Over the next 14 months, the aircraft was completely refurbished to remove overhead compartments and the economy seating section to make way for a bar, cocktail tables and seating and a disco-ready dance floor.
“It’s been a long process to make it safe for the public because these planes are designed to be in the air,” Harvey said. told CNN, having converted the 1994 commercial aircraft into a party space, currently based at Cotswold Airport. “So there are a lot of safety features that would not meet the health and safety regulations for a floor event space. They must therefore be downgraded. »
In total, the mobile nightclub cost nearly $671,000 in total for the makeover, including the money it took to buy the plane. Of that amount, $268,000 was spent on installing a new concrete slab and $107,000 on electrical work, CNN reported. Aside from the dance floor and bar, much of the rest of the aircraft, including its cockpit, was left as is and looks almost the same as before retirement.
Pandemic-related supply chain issues have prolonged the process, but the jet is now open for bookings, with its official launch scheduled for March 1 – and Harvey said his team had been inundated with requests
“We’re absolutely inundated with inquiries right now,” she said. “It’s a very versatile event setup, so it can host anything from a child’s birthday party to a new product launch or a corporate presentation.”
The plane’s first trips as a party venue have so far been reserved to include TV show filming and an array of parties. The plane also has a marriage license for those looking to get married on a flightless ship and have $16,000 to spend on a 24-hour booking.
The first visitors to space, however, will have to tolerate a unique shortcoming.
“One issue that we still haven’t been able to resolve is getting the restroom system to work,” Harvey said. “We hope that we will resolve this problem in the next six months or so. But at the moment we have very fancy toilet units which are positioned outside.
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