Spending the night on an airplane without taking off from solid ground, the promise was beautiful... This bold bet was made by Frédéric Deleuze, an Airbus employee who planned to transform an old A380 into a 3-star hotel and more. Already existing in Costa Rica or Sweden, this type of project was still completely unique in France. In reality, the ambitious entrepreneur planned to open 31 hotel rooms and suites as well as a 60-seat restaurant in the 555m² of the aircraft. But the project ultimately will not see the light of day, as the Airbus engineer was unable to gather the 5 to 10 million euros needed to carry out this crazy idea.
"It was quite tough to take, so I do not wish to communicate too much," reacted the Toulousain behind the project in statements reported by Le Parisien. Named "Envergure", this project...The pharaonic jet indeed required several million euros of investment. Crazy amounts that did not deter Frédéric Deleuze who aimed to offer stays between 120 and 140 euros per night within the plane.
Finally,the comeback of the A380 with airlines like Lufthansa, Emirates, or British Airways over the past year means that the aircraft is not completely forgotten yet... What a shame!
