Germany: Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen Turns Discarded German Military Aircraft into Experience Restaurant

After 30 years in the service of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), the Airbus A310 with the tactical designation 10+23 (which still bore the baptismal name of “Kurt Schumacher” until the end of 2020) will pass into the ownership of the Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen. The animal and leisure park in Lower Saxony had convinced in a decommissioning procedure for the Luftwaffe Airbus with its after-use concept to convert the venerable aircraft, the history of which began in 1988 in Toulouse, into a restaurant. In future, the means of transport will stand on the edge of the park’s Masai Mara open animal enclosure, get a fresh paint and be expanded by terraces around it. Its opening as a restaurant is planned for summer next year, and while dining in the special location, guests will be able to observe giraffes, antelopes and other animals in the outdoor enclosure.

“We are delighted about this unique opportunity to offer our guests a new and special attraction. We are honoured that this particular Airbus with its dignified history, which in addition to troop transports has also supported humanitarian aid and flown people safely out of crisis areas, is now coming to us,” says Serengeti-Park owner Dr. Fabrizio Sepe (photo).

The biggest challenge of this project is imminent: the 79-tonne Airbus will be transported from Hanover through the villages of Lower Saxony to Hodenhagen in a special multi-part transport at a speed of only 5 km/h – probably the slowest journey the aircraft has ever had to make. The aircraf’s last mission was on 20 August 2021 for an evacuation flight of persons from Afghanistan. (eap)