Jet airliners are now “retired” after 30 years of service. There are several ways to re-use bits of them. This includes chopping off their cabin sections to be fitted out as training simulators. Many are thought to rust away in vast aircraft graveyards, only getting the odd bit of attention when some extreme sports enthusiasts use them as props.
At this stage, big birds are being decommissioned at a rate of 700 a year and more, so there’s plenty of opportunity for reclamation projects like what small startup Aeropods is doing over in the northwest of Ireland.
These guys have been taking high-quality sections of the insulated fuselage, and fitting them out as little offices, sheds, playrooms, or glamping pods, with double-glazed doors on one end, a wall on the other, a clean, insulated floor, a wooden deck, and basically whatever else a client wants inside, like power sockets, heating/air con, color LED mood lighting and the like.
They will be built longer, shorter, or with larger or smaller diameters, and they’ll ship to anywhere since these pods are designed to be easily lifted and transported on the back of a truck. Aeropods says this makes them handy as portable outdoor expo stands and pop-up retail operations as well. The exterior can be painted too.
The price range falls between €20,000 and €37,000 (US$22,000 to $56,000).