Manicured grass, tropical palm trees and a swimming pool could soon cover the flight deck of a former Brazilian Navy aircraft carrier. Surprising as it may be, this project was announced by German businessman Udo Stern, former director of Lufthansa.
Built in France and named “Foch”, acquired in 2000 by Brazil and renamed “São Paulo”, the imposing ship measuring 265 meters was auctioned for USD 1.6 million to a Turkish scrap dealer. But the strong opposition of public opinion to the dismantling of the aircraft carrier in Turkey, with its consequent risk of environmental pollution, led Udo Stern to think that it was possible to present more attractive alternatives.
Designing to anchor the ship in the Black Sea, but outside territorial waters, the project oozes luxury. Estimated at hundreds of millions of euros, it includes numerous leisure facilities in the 13,800 square meters available. In addition to a casino, cinemas, theater, bars and restaurants, a helipad, a glass swimming pool, as well as a nine-hole golf course would be installed on the deck during the summer season. In winter this course would be transformed into a ski slope covered with artificial snow. Future passengers will be accommodated in the 55 officers’ cabins, transformed into luxurious suites.
Designing to anchor the ship in the Black Sea, but outside territorial waters, the project oozes luxury. Estimated at hundreds of millions of euros, it includes numerous leisure facilities in the 13,800 square meters available. In addition to a casino, cinemas, theater, bars and restaurants, a helipad, a glass swimming pool, as well as a nine-hole golf course would be installed on the deck during the summer season. In winter this course would be transformed into a ski slope covered with artificial snow. Future passengers will be accommodated in the 55 officers’ cabins, transformed into luxurious suites.
If Udo Stern claims to have found investors, the ambitious project has staunch opponents. In Brazil and France, an association supported by former crew tried unsuccessfully to transform the ship into a floating Museum. In Turkey a retired admiral tried to convince the Turkish Navy to use it as a training facility. Also in Turkey , politicians and environmentalists are also mobilizing against the project. In Izmir, the port on the Aegean Sea where the mandatory and complex “de-amiantization” of the aircraft carrier would take place, the mayor, ecologists, technicians and dockers’ unions are mobilized against the risks of pollution from toxic waste.
But the key point for the future of the project will be the agreement – or not – of the French government. One of the clauses of the contract for the sale of “Foch” to Brazil defines that the ship cannot be sold to anyone for any type of use without specific authorization from France. A spokesman has already recalled that this clause even applies to a tourism project, and that for the time being, no such request has been made by the Brazilian authorities. If specialists are very cautious about carrying out their project, Udo Stern, with previous experience of complex investments in Blue Wings or Blue Star Cargo, really believes that it will soon receive skiers and golfers in the former Brazilian franc carrier.