Iconic Boeing 747 Visitor Attraction, Events Venue & Aviation Experience Business
£470,000
£294,458
£147,941
Overview
Leasehold
2022
- Excellent Reputation
- Very Loyal Customer Base
- Huge Growth Potential
- Well Equipped Business
- Wide Variety of Products & Services
A profitable and highly distinctive aviation experience business combining heritage, entertainment, education, events and hospitality within an authentic aviation setting.
Operating as a flight simulator attraction, aviation museum and private events venue, the business welcomes visitors from across the UK and overseas. Its diverse customer base includes aviation enthusiasts, families, tourists, corporate groups, schools, trainee pilots and media organisations.
Continued investment in technology, licences and the visitor experience has strengthened the business’s commercial offering, operational capability and reputation.
Business Highlights
• Built around the genuine upper deck of an ex British Airways Boeing 747, creating a memorable destination attraction with a truly distinctive setting
• Established national brand with three consecutive Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards and coverage across BBC Breakfast, Coronation Street and national media.
• One of the UK’s most distinctive experiential leisure businesses, attracting visitors from across the UK and overseas
• Diverse revenue streams including aviation experiences, Flight Academy, corporate events, weddings, venue hire, film & television location hire, hospitality, retail and gift vouchers
• Experienced operational team and established management processes enable the business to run independently of the owners
• Consistently profitable business with strong recent growth, exceptional gross margins and a proven ability to generate revenue across multiple complementary income streams
• Significant opportunities to expand corporate hospitality, education, tourism, film & television partnerships, licensing and additional locations
• Compelling acquisition opportunity combining aviation heritage, experiential leisure and hospitality within a business model that has no directly comparable UK equivalent
This represents a rare opportunity to acquire a profitable, transferable and highly differentiated leisure and visitor attraction. An incoming owner would benefit from a distinctive physical asset, proven operational infrastructure, an established customer base and a strong platform for continued growth.
A purchaser with additional marketing expertise, tourism partnerships, corporate relationships or expansion capital could accelerate several underdeveloped revenue streams while building upon an already successful and commercially proven business.
The business operates from approximately 3,100 sq ft of converted hangar premises at Barton Aerodrome, offering an authentic aviation setting close to Manchester Airport, the Trafford Centre and Manchester city centre.
The venue includes a fully operational Boeing 747 simulator with a 180 degree wraparound screen, authentic aircraft interiors, licensed bar, wedding ceremony licence, fitted kitchen, event spaces, customer parking and capacity for up to 75 seated guests or 150 reception attendees. It supports simulator experiences, corporate events, weddings, private functions, education and media production.
The lease can continue on a rolling basis or be renewed for three years. Operations are managed by an experienced Head of Operations, supported by engineers, supervisors, around 25 instructors and event staff. Cloud based booking, payments, Xero, customer records and remote administration make the business straightforward to manage. The owners will provide a full handover.
There is considerable scope to expand corporate team building, client entertainment, employee reward and aviation themed event packages. The licensed bar, catering facilities and wedding ceremony licence also support premium weddings, celebrations and private functions.
The authentic aircraft interior could be promoted to television, film, advertising and content production companies, while the Flight Academy could grow through school and college partnerships, STEM programmes, holiday camps and career focused training.
Partnerships with hotels, tourism organisations and nearby attractions could position the venue as part of a wider Manchester visitor experience. Further digital marketing could build on strong reviews and an established audience. Longer term opportunities include additional simulator locations, airport partnerships, licensing, franchising and new aviation themed experiences. The associated retail business could support gifting, memorabilia sales and cross selling.
Features
Online Presence
Location
- On-Site Car Parking