Dubai resident installs Etihad A380 cabin in home after 224 flights
Wings Craft spent a year adapting The Residence living area for installation in private apartment.
A Dubai resident has installed a section of Etihad Airways' A380 cabin in his living room after flying aboard the aircraft 224 times. Arun Rajagopal commissioned Wings Craft, a UAE-based aviation upcycling company, to recreate the living area of The Residence, Etihad's three-room suite aboard its Airbus A380.
Installation took year of restoration work#
Wings Craft spent nearly a year restoring and adapting the cabin section for residential use. The project involved fitting the cream leather seating, sliding partition, storage compartments and aircraft-style windows into a space designed for ground installation rather than flight. The entertainment screen required a replacement television to work within a space originally designed for a specialised inflight entertainment system. The sliding doors, lighting and other features also required adaptation to function without the aircraft's electrical and mechanical systems.
Etihad introduced suite in 2014#
Etihad Airways launched The Residence in 2014 as a three-room accommodation featuring a private living room, separate bedroom and shower room. The installation recreates the living area, with its distinctive seating, sliding privacy doors and selected accessories. Rajagopal has flown on 97 individual A380s out of 251 delivered to airlines worldwide, travelling to 59 destinations across six continents aboard the aircraft.
Wings Craft specialises in aviation upcycling#
Wings Craft operates in the UAE as a specialist aviation upcycling company. The firm adapted the cabin section to function in a residential setting, addressing the technical challenges of making aircraft fittings work without the systems built into the aircraft. The project began with Rajagopal's interest in the distinctive leather sofa on the aircraft and expanded to recreating the entire living area. The physical installation in the apartment took one day after the year-long restoration process.
Collector has logged 1.16 million kilometres on A380#
Rajagopal has travelled approximately 1.16 million kilometres on the Airbus A380 and spent more than 60 days in the air on the aircraft. His collection of aviation experiences includes flights on nearly four out of every 10 A380s delivered to airlines. The home installation includes aircraft-style windows, plush leather seats, an entertainment screen and airline accessories arranged to replicate the cabin experience.
Sources1 source across 1 domain
- gulfnews.comGulf NewsArun Rajagopal installed Etihad A380 Residence cabin in Dubai home after 224 flights; Wings Craft spent year on restoration; flew 1.16 million kilometres on 97 individual A380s
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