• Five young entrepreneurs from Uurainen set out to create a unique accommodation and party venue for international tourists. Their bold idea was to place a decommissioned aircraft in a rural setting on its own, which is exceptionally rare worldwide.
• Committed to sustainability, their business goals sought to repurpose the old plane to showcase circular-economy thinking in an innovative way.
• Another main project aim was to build a tourist venue to attract visitor income for their hometown.

Activities

All CAP-funded project actions started after the entrepreneurs had purchased the passenger airplane and moved it to their hometown of Uurainen. The aircraft was located on top of a hill surrounded by fields and forests. CAP support then helped cover the costs of the plane’s renovation and the construction of a hexagonal villa and an outbuilding.

Circular activities saw the aircraft’s old materials being extensively dismantled to add more thermal insulation to the fuselage to maximise energy efficiency. A unique round sauna and a bathroom separated from the sauna by a glass wall were built in the cargo hold at the tail end of the aircraft. A bar-kitchen, a sofa bed and a dining room suite made from the original seats of the airplane were placed in the cabin. The cockpit was turned into a bedroom from which the visitors can watch the landscape and the starry sky through the panoramic cockpit windows.

Modifying the aircraft required a great deal of skilled craftsmanship. Among other things, the control levers and pedals, the external navigation and signal lights, and the public address system were restored to working order. New aircraft propellers were made by a local blacksmith because the original engines and propeller blades had been used for spare parts.

The entrepreneurs wanted to add more entertainment and accommodation space to the complex, which is why a hexagonal villa inspired by an air traffic control tower was built. The villa has a fully equipped kitchen, two bedrooms, a spacious living room, as well as a washroom and a wood-fired sauna. A patio connects the airplane and the villa, and there is a hot tub on the patio that can be used all year round.

In addition, an outbuilding consisting of a granary, a storeroom and a woodshed was built. As the site is in the middle of fields in a rural area, the necessary roads, electricity connection, sewage treatment plant and water connection from a nearby spring were also built as part of the project.

Finally, the venue was furnished and decorated according to the airplane theme. Visitors also have access to flight attendant and captain uniforms for photographs.

• Good practice results showcase a bold, innovative hospitality concept that both highlights the entrepreneurial spirit of rural youth and attracts global attention to a small Finnish community.
• Ilmatar Airplane Lodge is a one-of-a-kind accommodation and event venue in Finland, and globally rare. In its first year of operation, Ilmatar hosted more than 1 000 overnight stays from guests representing around 20 countries, including Finland, Western Asia, and Central Europe.
• Sustainability and energy efficiency results were central. Local entrepreneurs carried out nearly all the construction work, and materials were chosen with environmental values in mind. The site features a building automation system that optimises heating, ventilation and lighting, along with energy-efficient windows and doors. Additional eco-friendly features include a customer electric vehicle charging station and a well-organised recycling system.
• The venue has received outstanding reviews, earning a 4.95/5 rating on Airbnb. The project has become a local attraction, which has been reported on by Taloussanomat, Ilta-Sanomat and Keskisuomalainen newspapers, Yle, MTV’s Huomenta Suomi, and the British media outlet LADbible, dubbed it as "the coolest Airbnb in the world".
• Social media publications by influencer guests have achieved over ten million views on social media platforms.
• The tourism promotion organisation Visit Jyväskylä Region has also highlighted the venue in its own marketing as one of the main attractions in Central Finland.

Key lessons

• It proved that a world-class accommodation experience can quickly attract guests from more than 20 countries to very rural parts of Europe.
• Ilmatar Airplane Lodge is an example of how EU funds can be used to create highly visible, positive projects that enrich rural areas.
• The project’s developers have become role models and created a positive motivational image for young open-minded entrepreneurs in rural areas.
• Ilmatar Airplane Lodge is not only a hospitality innovation but also a model for sustainable rural entrepreneurship.