I spent $120K to convert a decrepit old plane into a quirky Airbnb: ‘It's a unique experience'
Can't sleep on planes? Then this Airbnb isn't for you.
In the United Kingdom, a father of four transformed a vintage, private jet into a glamping destination. Tamir Ali, 38, jumped on the chance to purchase the 1970s Hawker jet in December 2023.
The defunct aircraft is now a quirky Airbnb in northwestern Wales, SWNS reported.
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'It's a unique experience, not many people get to sit in the cockpit of 70's private jet,' Ali told the outlet.
7 It cost more than $120,000 to convert the once-derelict private jet into this unique getaway.
Tamir Ali / SWNS
7 Red-eye? Don't worry, this jet has a guestroom in the cockpit.
Tamir Ali / SWNS
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7 The Airbnb boasts a fully functioning kitchen and a bathroom.
Tamir Ali / SWNS
Ali, who restores classic cars in his spare time, told SWNS that he encountered the investment opportunity through unique connections.
'I've always worked with eccentric people — people who deal with the weird and wonderful,' Ali said. 'I know a chap in Essex, who said he had something that was up my street.'
That 'something' was a 1970s Hawker jet, complete with its original cockpit. The aircraft was formerly used through the 1970s and 1980s as a means of transporting employees of an oil company.
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The Hawker was cut in half and wingless — for ease of transportation — when Ali took it off his friend's hands for an undisclosed sum. He called the plane 'a bit worse for wear.' The jet's nose cone was hanging off, he said, and there was no door.
'There was lots of mold and moss inside — but I immediately envisioned what I wanted it to be,' Ali said.
7 The state of the '70s-era jet when Ali bought it.
Tamir Ali / SWNS
Ali spent more than $120,000 over the course of seven months to transform the derelict machine into a cozy rental property.
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The plane is now located in Dolgellau, a charming mountain town in northwestern Wales. It listed on Airbnb just three weeks ago, but it's already a hit, Ali said.
Ali's quirky holiday home includes a fully functioning kitchen, a bathroom with a shower and an outdoor sitting area. There's technically two bedrooms — a small bed in the cockpit area, and a double bed in the 16-by-9-foot cabin added onto the back of the plane.
7 The Airbnb is 20 minutes from the sprawling Eryri National Park.
Tamir Ali / SWNS
7 What the place lacks in elbow room, it makes up for in vintage charm.
Tamir Ali / SWNS
7 Ali maintained the original cockpit console.
Tamir Ali / SWNS
The renovation process entailed replacing old carpets with wooden floors, rewiring the electrics and getting a custom-made door.
'It's awesome — when people walk in they say it's much bigger than it seems on the outside,' Ali said.
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He named the $227-a-night glamping pod 'Alaya Airways,' after his youngest daughter.
Can't get enough of the high life? Alaya Airways isn't the only vintage plane available on the vacation rental site. Airbnb also offers stays aboard a 1956 air freighter in Alaska, a WWII-era plane in Wisconsin, and a Boeing 727 — once owned by Pablo Escobar — in Bristol.
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