London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

British Airways jet bought for £1 is now a bar hosting lavish plane parties

British Airways jet bought for £1 is now a bar hosting lavish plane parties

An iconic 747 British Airways jet has been bought and transformed into a party destination.

The BA Negus ‘party plane’ is currently stationed at the privately-owned Cotswolds Airport.

It’s available to hire now – and can cater for everything, from private birthday parties and product launches to corporate events.

The aircraft was bought for just £1 in 2020 by the airport’s chief executive Suzannah Harvey, after British Airways retired its fleet early – due to the pandemic.

As fleets were being destroyed, Suzannah asked if one could be kept back and preserved – almost like a museum or artefact.

But due to the transfer of the liability that comes with the aircraft, technically it had to be ‘sold’ – hence the £1 transaction.

Suzannah says part of the deal was to also ensure the aircraft was kept for public use.

Though it may sound like a bargain, half a million pounds had since gone into the plane.

She explains: ‘I paid a pound for her, and we have a certain obligation to maintain it as is practical for public use.

‘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.’



Inside the 747 plane


Most of the original structure has stayed the same but the economy section has been stripped out to create the events space, and the gallery has been changed into a bar.

It took one man a full week to clean the entirety of the plane, and rewiring with custom lighting was fitted, too.

Suzannah added: ‘It’s been a long old slog. She came into us in October 2020, and at the time I rather naively thought we’d have her up and running by the following Easter.

‘We’ve had such tremendous support from everybody – like all the contractors and all the people that have volunteered, who are current BA 747 engineers.

‘Here we are, finally. She’s ready and she’s good to go.’

It can be hired out for parties and events


The Negus entered the British Airways fleet on February 15 1994, operating 13,398 flights and flying for 118,445 hours – almost 60 million miles.

Its last passenger flight was from Miami to Heathrow in April, 2020.

Now it’s living on in rental form.

Anyone now wanting to party on the jet will have to fork out more than £1,000 an hour – but Suzannah says they’ve been inundated with enquiries even at this cost.

Netflix have also asked for details.

Bought only for £1, the owner is obliged to make sure it stays in use


Suzannah adds: ‘The vision has finally come to fruition, with overwhelming support from volunteers including current BA engineers and half a million pounds of investment later, Negus 747 is finally ready.

‘Preserved for many years to come and future generations, Negus is the only bespoke events 747 in the world.’

Cotswold Airport is family-owned (and operated) and is the largest private airport in Europe, having a runway only two metres shorter than Bristol International.

Suzannah adds that an app will soon be launched to enable the general public to book tours of the aircraft.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×