Plane luck: Jumbo meal in a jumbo jet

One has heard of, or even experienced, revolving restaurants which give a 360 degree view of the landscape or a floating restaurant at sea. But, having a “Jumbo” meal in the luxurious ambience of a “grounded” Boeing 747 should be an altogether different experience. And it is happening in Abha!
The giant aircraft is being ferried to by a fleet of 95 trucks, and by the time it is fully converted into a magnificent restaurant this summer with a capacity to seat 800, a whopping SR2.5 million would have been spent on it, media spokesman for Asir municipality Muhammad Al-Beshri said, adding that it had arrived in Asir from Madinah before it takes the last leg of its journey to Abha.
The task of transporting it by itself is no mean achievement, he said, pointing out that the wheels of several trucks had worn out because of the sheer weight. The fleet of trucks could do no more than 100 km a day.
Stating that the project was the brainchild of Asir Mayor Ibrahim Al-Khalil, who is sure of its success, Al-Beshri said Saudia had granted the plane’s ownership to the municipality to be converted into a tourist restaurant.
The spokesman said a string of communications flew back and forth between various official bodies over a period of a year-and-a-half before the project could take shape. “The aircraft will be positioned in Um Al-Rukab near the Abha Dream project and the operation of the Plane Restaurant will be done through the auction route like other projects of the municipality,” he said.
 “It is a pioneering project and a one of its kind in the Kingdom,” said the mayor extending his apologies to the residents of the city for the power disruptions and other inconveniences. The municipality may  inaugurate the Plane Restaurant at the beginning of this summer season, he said.