It's hard to miss the B747 near the perimeter when you land at the Stockholm Arlanda airport. For, the huge plane has been turned into a hotel.
To be sure, aircraft restaurants and plane hotels are coming up in multiple countries - the United States, New Zealand, Costa Rica, and Ghana each has a plane hotel.
But none has taken to the repurposed aircraft quite like India, which is likely to become the world capital of this concept soon, if doesn't already occupy the pole position. The last couple of years have seen many aircraft being scrapped and a sizeable number turned into restaurants. In at least one instance - at the Serum Institute of India in Pune - an Airbus has been turned into an office!
Rajasthan is the land of Boeings; Haryana, of Airbus
The planes are mostly older Air India aircrafts that airports are keen to get rid of for more reasons than one, says Mohd. Asim - the man behind moving all these planes and helping set up restaurants or offices across the country.
The northern part of the country seems to have a liking for aeroplane restaurants, Asim explains.
A Boeing B737 (VT-EGF) - previously flown by Indian Airlines and Alliance Air - which was in India Post livery before being scrapped, has been turned into a restaurant at Singhania University in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan.
Another B737, presumably a VT-EGG, is at Khatu Shyamji, Jaipur. The restaurant is named Boeing 737 Aeroplane restaurant. The airframe is over 40 years old!
While Rajasthan is the land of Boeings, Haryana is the land of the Airbus.
Sonipat, Haryana, seems to be a magnet for converted planes. Sample this: At Terminal C, next to Jurasik Park, is an A320 that has been turned into a water park complete with amusement rides - the A320 was previously flown by Indian Airlines and Air India. The aircraft, a VT-EPT, had been stored at New Delhi for a decade, until it found its new home! Jurasik Park is also home to Hawker Hunter, which has served with the Indian Air Force and remains the star attraction for visitors.
Near Sonipat, is Murthal - where not one but two aircraft form part of a restaurant aptly named “Hawai Adda Murthal”. The VT-ESG and VT-EPL, both flown by Indian Airlines and Air India post-merger, are aircraft with double bogey landing gear.
On the outskirts of Ambala, in Mohri village, is Runway 1 - where an Airbus A320 with dummy engines set amongst the fields. The Punjabi restaurant attracts patrons from the entire region, comprising Ambala, Patiala and Kurukshetra. The VT-EPO is another double-bogey aircraft.
Not just Airbus and Boeing, the Bindal Hawai Adda which lies between Ambala and Yamuna Nagar on NH-73 has two helicopters and an ATR - which served with Deccan360, the now defunct cargo airline which was a venture of Captain Gopinath.
If you thought that aircraft can be parked on the outskirts only, think again! AN aircraft is now parked in Metrowalk mall, Rohini. The A310, formerly VT-EJK which was named Gomati, has been converted into a restaurant.
Neighbouring Gurgaon has a restaurant named Flight of Dreams. True to Haryana’s tradition of sticking to Airbus, the restaurant has converted another double bogey A320 (VT-EPH) of erstwhile Indian Airlines and Air India.
Some of the airlines which did not survive the first wave of privatisation are present in bits and pieces countrywide. Among them is the Fokker F-27 of NEPC airlines which has been converted into a restaurant in Surat. Another F-27 of NEPC airlines also sits in Morni Hills near Chandigarh.
The trend is catching on. VT-ESC, another former A320 with Air India, is being converted into a restaurant, this time in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut. More aircraft are coming out from various airports, primarily Delhi.
South India’s first aeroplane restaurant has come up at Vijayawada. A former Alliance Air B737 converted into Hotel Viman!
Of course, not all plane ventures have taken off. Hawai Adda restaurant in Ludhiana was among the first to buy into the concept. The restaurant took one of the older A320s and converted it into what it called Jazzy Airlines. The restaurant is no longer in operation. The VT-EPD that the restaurant was built in has been stored, and could well see a new owner!
Serum Institute's A320 office
Serum Institute of India in Pune - which has been in the news for Covid vaccines over the last two years - has an old A320 which has been converted into an office! Adar Poonawalla, who has many helicopters and business jets, is known for his love for planes amongst other things. The company took up an old A320 to convert it into an office with a jetway to connect it to the building. Needless to say, the office is not open to the public unlike the other aircraft which have been converted into restaurants.
The man behind the machines
Mohd. Asim has been involved in each of these projects. From attending the auctions to handing over the completed restaurants and welcoming the first guests, the services are end to end. He has worked in this field for 13 years already, though he doesn't have a background in aeronautical studies.
Both the care which Mohd. Asim takes and his knowledge of planes are fascinating. His dedicated team and partners - including those who work around the auction part; specialised carriers who help with the transportation; and interior decorators who know how to convert the aircraft into restaurants - is a combination which is hard to find.
Asim clearly loves planes, and has an eye for what's unique. He has some artefacts and parts of aeroplanes - such as double bogey landing gears - which could rival those in some museums!
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