Hawai Adda in Ludhiana, Punjab, was billed as India’s first airplane restaurant: a 72-seat, pure vegetarian restaurant built inside a retired Air India Airbus A320 that opened around the turn of 2016 to 2017. A listing now reports it as permanently closed, though we could not confirm that independently.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Hawai Adda (the name means “airport”) |
| Place | Ferozepur Road, Ludhiana, Punjab |
| Aircraft | Retired Air India Airbus A320 |
| Seats | 72 |
| Food | Pure vegetarian, no airline meals |
| Developer | Hands Hospitality |
Dinner inside a retired Airbus A320 in India
Turning a retired plane into somewhere to eat beats scrapping it, and people around the world have been doing it for years. India’s version was Hawai Adda, in the northern city of Ludhiana in Punjab.
The whole place was built from an Airbus A320 that once flew for Air India. Hands Hospitality, a New Delhi company, led the project and aimed to keep most of the original aircraft parts, reportedly including about a million wires. The conversion reportedly took about a year.
Inside there was a restaurant seating 72 people, a cafe, a bakery and a party hall. Don’t expect plane food: the menu was pure vegetarian restaurant fare, not airline trays. Staff dressed as flight attendants to complete the effect.
The delays before opening
Opening was reportedly set back by fire-safety issues, and it was also claimed that the wings came close to the edge of the Ludhiana to Ferozepur highway, which some saw as a potential traffic hazard. The restaurant opened for business around December 2016 and January 2017.
Our earlier version also quoted a Chinese airline-style staff policy and a $5.2 million conversion cost with $30 to $45 meals. Those belonged to a different plane restaurant, not Hawai Adda, so we removed them.
Is Hawai Adda still open
We could not confirm. A restaurant listing shows Verka Hawai Adda as permanently closed, but the listing is not recent, and launch coverage describes it as open. Check local reviews before planning a trip around it.
Other restaurants in retired planes
Hawai Adda was not the only one. La Tante DC10 in Accra, Ghana, was a 118-seat restaurant inside a former Ghana Airways DC-10 that served local dishes such as jollof rice and spiced tilapia. It closed in 2023 and the aircraft was scrapped. In Taupo, New Zealand, a McDonald’s has a decommissioned Douglas DC-3 with its cockpit intact, now used as a diners’ seating area and a tourist attraction. In Bangkok, a former Orient Thai Boeing 747-400 was converted into a cafe and restaurant in the Lat Krabang district.
The lesson from the closed ones: a plane gets you the first visit, but the food has to earn the second.
Keep reading
- A guide to the Palace on Wheels luxury train: another way to eat well while moving through India
- 15 reasons not to buy a private jet: if the plane restaurant made you consider owning an aircraft
FAQ
What is Hawai Adda?
Hawai Adda was an airplane restaurant in Ludhiana, Punjab, built inside a retired Air India Airbus A320 and billed as India’s first.
Who built Hawai Adda?
Hands Hospitality, a New Delhi-based company, led the project.
What food did Hawai Adda serve?
Pure vegetarian food. It did not serve airline meals.
How many people could it seat?
72 people at a time, according to launch coverage, plus a cafe, a bakery and a party hall.
Is Hawai Adda still open?
We could not confirm. A listing reports it as permanently closed, but the listing is not recent.
Are there other restaurants inside planes?
Yes. Examples include La Tante DC10 in Accra (closed in 2023), a McDonald’s with a DC-3 in Taupo, New Zealand, and a Boeing 747 cafe in Bangkok.
Last updated: October 2026.
