Published: November 27, 2024 | Updated: 27th November 2024
Last November, the Solent Sky Museum in Southampton welcomed on site the fuselage of a BAC1-11 aircraft – built in Dorset in the 1960s before going out of service in 2000.
Rescued from the scrap heap, this hunk of aviation history is now set to house a cafe for museum visitors after plans were given the green light by the city council.
A two-storey extension will be added to provide stairs and lift access between the building and the fuselage.
Diners will be seated within the aircraft – up to 30 at a time – served by a kitchen on the first floor.
The application from the museum cited the lack of a cafe as a common point of feedback from visitors on Tripadvisor, where the museum is among the highest rated attractions in Hampshire.
“This innovative proposal to create a cafe within an aircraft will both add to the visitor experience and contribute to the future of the museum,” read the proposal.