Dubai man recreates Etihad’s luxury cabin at home after 224 Airbus A380 flights

A Dubai resident who has flown on the Airbus A380 224 times has transformed part of his home into a replica of Etihad Airways’ ultra-luxurious The Residence cabin. Complete with leather seats, sliding doors, an entertainment screen and aircraft fittings, the space recreates the experience of one of the world’s most luxurious in-flight suites.

Upon entering the home, guests are personally welcomed by the host with a scented towel as calming boarding music plays in the background. Plush leather seats, aircraft-style windows, an entertainment screen and a collection of aviation equipment and accessories complete the setting.

However, there is no aircraft, no cabin crew and no journey about to begin.

The space is, in fact, part of Arun Rajagopal’s living room in Dubai, which he has converted into a replica of the lounge area in Etihad Airways’ exclusive The Residence — an ultra-luxurious three-room suite offered on the airline’s Airbus A380 aircraft.

Cream-coloured leather seats, sliding partitions, storage compartments and cabin fittings have brought the atmosphere of one of commercial aviation’s most luxurious spaces into his home.

For most people, recreating part of an aircraft cabin in their living room would be unusual and expensive, but for Rajagopal, it feels entirely natural.

“My living space reflects my passion for aviation,” he says. “I know this is not a real cabin, but it is the closest experience to the real thing you can have on the ground.”

Rajagopal has flown on the Airbus A380 224 times, travelled about 1.16 million kilometres aboard the double-decker aircraft and spent more than 60 days of his life flying on the model.

He has flown on 97 different A380s, representing nearly 40 per cent of the 251 aircraft delivered to airlines worldwide. Rajagopal has also travelled to 59 destinations across six continents aboard the aircraft.

However, these impressive figures tell only part of the story of his passion for aviation.

Explaining an interest that began in childhood, he says: “It is not just about aviation; it is about passion. When you care deeply about something, how far can you take it?”

“This is probably the greatest passion of my life,” Rajagopal adds.

That passion has taken him around the world and has now inspired him to bring part of the flying experience into his home.

One of the World’s Most Luxurious Airline Suites Recreated at Home

Etihad Airways unveiled its exclusive “The Residence” suite in 2014. The luxurious space features a private living room, a separate bedroom and a bathroom with a shower, offering an experience entirely different from conventional passenger flights.

Rajagopal has travelled in the exclusive suite seven times.

He has now recreated the suite’s living area in his apartment, complete with custom seating, sliding privacy doors and a selection of specially chosen fittings.

However, completing the project required considerable time and effort.

He said: “Installing the fittings at home took just one day, but the entire process lasted almost a year. I was truly excited to have brought the skies into my home.”

The project was initially inspired by his fondness for the aircraft’s distinctive leather sofa, but gradually evolved into a broader plan to create a complete living area that could be used inside his apartment.

UAE-based Wings Craft, a company specialising in restoring and repurposing aviation equipment, spent nearly a year refurbishing the set and adapting it for use in the home.

The project was far more complex than arranging a few pieces of furniture, as an aircraft cabin contains advanced electrical and mechanical systems, and much of its equipment relies on infrastructure installed in the aircraft to function properly.

One of the most challenging aspects was setting up the entertainment screen. The contractor had to find a suitable television and install it so it could be used within the space designed for a specialised in-flight entertainment system.

The sliding doors, lighting and other cabin features also required careful inspection and adjustment.

While presenting the restored space, Rajagopal explains its various features, from the purpose of the different compartments and how the doors operate to how closely the installation resembles a real aircraft cabin.

His home also displays a collection of aviation memorabilia and objects linked to air travel, some of which came from aircraft of particular significance to him.

These items include a parking brake from an Airbus A380 and a wheel from the same aircraft model that was repurposed as a coffee table.

Although the collection occupies a prominent place in Rajagopal’s home, he has no plans to turn his apartment into a public attraction.

He prefers to enjoy his personal passion in peace, surrounded by the objects he loves.

“Being surrounded by so much aviation memorabilia and so many collectables gives me a great deal of energy,” Rajagopal says.

A passion that began at the age of seven

Rajagopal’s interest in aviation began years before he could afford to travel frequently.

He took his first flight at the age of seven and still remembers the meal served during the journey.

As a child, Rajagopal collected boarding passes and in-flight magazines, captivated by the sights, sounds and distinctive atmosphere of air travel.

His interest did not fade as he grew older. Once he entered the workforce and began earning his own income, he was able to travel more often and turn his childhood passion into a more serious pursuit.

“I took 100 flights last year, and I get a great deal of enjoyment from it. Flying is one of the best ways for me to recharge,” he said.

However, some of his most enduring memories date back to a time when such journeys seemed beyond his reach.

Rajagopal recalls seeing one of the massive double-decker aircraft at London Heathrow Airport years ago, when the Airbus A380 was still relatively new.

At the time, he thought he might never have the opportunity to fly on such an aircraft.

He eventually took his first Airbus A380 flight on March 11, 2009.

Rajagopal was seated in economy class on that trip and, by his own account, simply being on board was thrilling.

He did not care much about where he was seated; being able to fly on an A380 was enough.

At the time, the premium cabins on the aircraft’s upper deck seemed like an entirely different and inaccessible world.

Today, however, 95.5 per cent of his Airbus A380 flights have been in premium cabins, including business and first class.

“I have been fortunate to be part of the Airbus A380’s story,” he said. “When this aircraft is gone, people will miss it.”

Despite the luxury experiences he has enjoyed in recent years, Rajagopal has not forgotten the excitement of his earliest flights.

For him, the A380 is more than an impressive aircraft. It represents the journey he has taken from a young man who once watched it from afar to a passenger with hundreds of flights under his belt.

Travelling Just for the Joy of Flying

For most people, a plane is simply a means of reaching a destination, but Rajagopal takes a different view of air travel.

He says: “I like spending time on planes. The destination is often secondary. What matters is the journey itself.”

One of his favourite routes is from Dubai to Colombo via Male, the capital of the Maldives. The itinerary allows him to spend hours on a plane and return home without taking a conventional holiday.

He can leave Dubai, enjoy being at the airport and the experience of flying, then return home and sleep in his own bed that night.

On another trip, Rajagopal flew from Dubai to Milan, continued to New York and returned on the same flight service. He completed the three flight sectors in about 24 hours.

But why would anyone travel such a long distance without stopping to visit the destination?

Rajagopal’s answer is simple: “The main attraction is the flight itself, and the journey is the destination.”

He enjoys almost every aspect of being on board, from the sounds of the aircraft’s various systems to the views displayed by its external cameras.

Rajagopal says: “I never watch films on a plane. I only watch the camera feeds or the flight map.”

He prefers watching the moving map showing the aircraft’s position and route, or following the journey through cameras installed on different parts of the plane.

Rajagopal also pays close attention to the sounds of flight and can identify the distinctive noises made by different aircraft at various stages of the journey.

Even a few extra minutes in the air can make him happy.

He records the duration of his flights and compares them with previous journeys. While many passengers are pleased to arrive ahead of schedule, Rajagopal sometimes welcomes the opportunity to spend more time on board.

He rarely sleeps for long during a flight. Even when travelling in first class, he prefers to stay awake and enjoy the experience.

Music is also part of his personal routine when flying. Rajagopal has created separate playlists for different stages of the flight, including taxiing and take-off.

These habits may seem unusual to others, but they help explain why hundreds of flights have done nothing to diminish his passion for aviation.

49 Inaugural Flights on the Airbus A380

Rajagopal’s passion for the Airbus A380 has made him an avid participant in inaugural flights, which mark the launch of a new route or air service.

He has taken 61 inaugural flights to date, 49 of them aboard the Airbus A380.

This means that more than one-fifth of his journeys on this aircraft type have been inaugural flights.

Rather than travelling repeatedly between a handful of major cities, Rajagopal has deliberately sought out new routes added to the A380 network.

This decision has sometimes required him to plan complex journeys involving several consecutive flights, but he believes the effort is worthwhile because each trip becomes part of his personal aviation history.

Rajagopal’s records highlight the scale of his travels.

He has flown on 97 different Airbus A380 aircraft, travelled to 59 destinations across six continents and completed 114 distinct routes between cities.

The aircraft he has flown on most frequently is an Airbus A380 registered as A6-EEX, which he has boarded eight times.

He even knows which seat he has selected most often: seat 2A, where he has sat 13 times.

On a single day in 2022, Rajagopal flew three Airbus A380 sectors, covering a total of 22,148 kilometres.

He has also celebrated seven birthdays aboard aircraft and remains eager to pursue new experiences.

His next two goals are to fly on his 100th different Airbus A380 and take part in his 50th inaugural flight involving the aircraft.

A Costly Passion Requiring Careful Planning

But how does Rajagopal pay for so many flights, particularly when most of his journeys are in business or first class?

“I pay for my personal trips myself and spend a great deal of time researching airfares and planning routes,” he said. “I do this for personal enjoyment, and I would like to keep it that way as much as possible.”

To reduce costs, Rajagopal uses airline loyalty points, searches for competitively priced tickets and chooses multi-leg itineraries that give him more time in the air.

The year 2025 marked a new record for his air travel.

During the year, Rajagopal took 100 commercial flights with 31 airlines, travelling through 58 airports on 85 routes across 50 countries.

He flew on 26 different aircraft types and covered a total of 233,000 kilometres — equivalent to circling the Earth about 5.8 times.

Such extensive travel requires meticulous planning, particularly as Rajagopal must balance his personal passion with his professional responsibilities.

He has a demanding job and plans his trips around annual leave, weekends and work commitments.

In some months, he takes numerous flights, while in others he may barely travel at all.

The Most Important Part of Travel Is Human Interaction

After hundreds of flights, what can still make a journey special and memorable for Rajagopal?

He says: “As a child, the novelty and excitement of flying were enough. Later, the aircraft, food and amenities in premium cabins added to the appeal of travel. But today, I value the people who make a journey memorable. What I look forward to most these days is the quality of service and how staff treat passengers from the very first interaction.”

Rajagopal has great appreciation for cabin crew who are genuinely passionate about their work and attend to passengers with warmth and care.

He believes a luxurious seat or lavish meal may make an immediate impression, but positive human interaction can create a more lasting memory.

He recalls a flight aboard an older aircraft operated by Myanmar Airways International that proved highly enjoyable because of the crew’s exceptional hospitality.

The journey reinforced his belief that the quality of a flight cannot always be judged by the age of the aircraft or the sophistication of its cabin amenities.

The Airbus A380 and the Fulfilment of a Long-Held Dream

Rajagopal has witnessed the evolution of the Airbus A380 at close hand, from a new and exciting aircraft to one of the world’s most recognisable passenger jets.

He has followed its initial expansion, the launch of new routes, disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the retirement or subsequent return to service of some aircraft.

Airbus ended production of the A380 in 2021.

Of the A380s Rajagopal has flown on, five have so far been withdrawn from service.

As a result, his travel records are not merely a collection of personal memories but also document part of the history of an aircraft that holds a special place in his life.

Living in Dubai has also helped him pursue his passion. The city’s extensive international flight network and status as a global aviation hub have given him access to a wide range of destinations.

For Rajagopal, the Airbus A380 has become a symbol of ambition and dreams fulfilled.

The young man who once stood at Heathrow Airport wondering whether he would ever have the chance to board the aircraft has now flown on nearly 40 per cent of all A380s delivered to airlines worldwide.

Even so, he remains excited about every new journey.

Rajagopal says: “If I have a flight tomorrow, I will approach it as though it were the first flight of my life.”

His passion for the A380 has also attracted attention within the aviation industry. He appeared in the aviation documentary “The Battle of the Giant Planes”, sharing his views as an enthusiast of the aircraft.

Bringing the Dream of Flight Home

In Rajagopal’s Dubai apartment, a reconstructed aircraft cabin offers a tangible glimpse of his deep passion for aviation.

He can sit in a space reminiscent of his most memorable journeys, watch television, entertain guests or simply enjoy the atmosphere of a luxury aircraft cabin.

Every detail of the space reflects a passion that has remained a defining part of his life for decades.

Yet having such a space at home has not diminished Rajagopal’s enthusiasm for air travel.

He continues to move closer to two major goals: flying aboard his 100th different Airbus A380 and taking his 50th inaugural flight on the aircraft.

For most people, the best part of air travel is reaching the destination. For Rajagopal, however, the greatest pleasure has always been the journey itself.

Now, between trips, he can relive part of the experience of being in the sky without leaving home.

Soft boarding music plays and the seats are ready, but this time there is no departure announcement and no flight taking off.