An iconic British Airways 747 jet which was retired due to the pandemic was then bought for £1 and converted into a posh ‘party plane’ which is available to hire for £1,000 an hour.
Bosses at Cotswolds Airport spent £500,000 converting the huge jet into an events space where people can host their weddings, product launches and work functions at the privately owned airport in Gloucestershire with a couple already booked in to get married at the venue in the springtime.
It has been preserved as a museum object by the company and the company will be hosting tours of the plane for the general public as well educational visits to schools.
Because of its negative impact on the travel sector and coronavirus, the BA Negus was withdrawn from the company’s fleet in 2020.
The aircraft is now being preserved at the site near Cirencester and was bought for just £1. The plane’s conversion was a labor of love by its new owners. It is expected to open soon for public viewing.
Suzannah Harvey, chief executive of Airport: “I paid a penny for her. We have an obligation to keep it in the best possible condition for public use.”
An iconic British Airways 747 jet (pictured) which was retired due to the pandemic was then bought for £1 by airport bosses and converted into a posh ‘party plane’ which is available to hire for £1,000 an hour at Cotswolds Airport in Gloucestershire
In order to make a special event space, much of the Economy Class seating was removed and some luggage storage spaces were created.
Inside the plane: There is a former galley that has been transformed into a bar. A large dance floor and specialized lighting are also available.
‘The company has had to spend nearly £500,000 getting her prepped and ready here, but I think it’s money well spent and it preserves her for future generations.’
While the structure itself has not changed much, it was altered to include the removal of the economic section in order to create an event space. The galley is now a bar.
The complete wiring of all the fixtures was done. It also took one person a week and a quarter to thoroughly clean it inside and out.
Suzannah said, “It has been a long and difficult slog. We brought her in October 2020. At the time, I was naive enough to believe that we would have her running the next Easter.
“We have received so much support from everyone. It’s all contractors and volunteers who have offered their services as current BA 747 pilots – we finally are there. It’s all set and ready to go.
Airport bosses spent more than £500,000 converting the iconic plane which was retired due to the impact of the pandemic
According to the company’s plans, it will open the plane for public visits and tours by March 1. It will also be available to host schools in the area.
British Airways introduced the Negus to its fleet in February 1994. It operated 13,398 flight hours and flew for nearly 60 million miles.
On 6 April 2020, it was cancelled by passengers flying from Miami to Heathrow.
Anyone now wanting to host a party onboard will have to pay more than £1,000 an hour but Suzannah said they had been inundated with enquiries – including from Netflix.
Suzannah said: “The vision finally came to fruition with overwhelming support by volunteers, including current BA engineers, and half a billion pounds later, Negus747 is now ready.
Negus, the unique event 747 that is preserved for the future and many years to follow, has been captured in a special way.
Cotswold Airport has the longest privately owned runway in Europe and it is owned by the Cotswold family.
Suzannah indicated that an app is being developed to make it easier for the general public and to book flights of the aircraft.