12 Apr Nuclear-powered plane hotel planned to take on the travel industry
A new concept of a nuclear-powered hotel dubbed the ‘Skytanic’ resort, is in the works and was advertised through a CGI video mockup.
In the video, it was shown how the plane-cruise hybrid would attempt to carry 5,000 passengers as well as stay in the air for months at a time. The hotel will come fitted with a swimming pool, gym, and 360-degree views, and hails itself as the ‘epitome of luxury’.
Powered by a small nuclear reactor, the aircraft will have 20 electric engines that will enable it to fly without stopping for fuel. Maintenance and repair work can be done while flying, making it an exceptional concept.
Hashem Al-Ghaili, a Yemeni molecular biologist and science communicator and the creator of the mock-up, claims that the sky cruise ‘could be the future of transport.’
The Skytanic resort will be autonomous, meaning there will be no one driving the plane-boat, but there will be plenty of staff on board to help passengers as they stroll around the cinema, bar, restaurant, child playground, theatre, and shopping mall.
Passengers will even be able to get married in its wedding hall, and if they want to leave, they can get on an external lift that takes them to a commercial plane or even a private jet (if they can afford it) as they can dock with the hotel.
The aircraft will be able to anticipate and prevent turbulence thanks to its AI, which will deploy a solution that can even out the bumps, so guests ‘glide over the vibrations with ease.’
However, with its big dreams come big challenges. With an aircraft this size, a gigantic runway would be needed, and air traffic would need to be modified to make room for the huge plane-boat.
Al-Ghaili thinks it’s ‘only a matter of time’ before the aviation engineering sector will catch up to his dream.
He said: “I imagined a world where flying from one place to another turned into a joyous experience, rather than fighting for leg space. Disruptive concepts like this one inspire change and help us push humanity forward.”
