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Dubai man Arun Rajagopal has flown aboard the Airbus A380 a staggering 224 times, covering over 1.16 million kilometers and spending more than 60 days in the air on the double-decker aircraft. This extraordinary passion for aviation has now taken a unique turn - Rajagopal has transformed his living room in Dubai into a recreation of The Residence, Etihad Airways' exclusive three-room suite aboard the A380.

The installation meticulously recreates the living area of The Residence, complete with distinctive cream leather seating, sliding partition doors, storage compartments, and carefully arranged airline accessories. The entertainment screen proved particularly challenging to incorporate into the setup, requiring Wings Craft, a UAE-based specialist aviation upcycling company, to find a suitable television and ensure it functioned within the specialized inflight entertainment system.

Rajagopal's installation, completed within a year, took considerable effort to bring the sky home. The installation includes iconic aviation memorabilia, such as the parking brake of an A380 and an upcycled A380 wheel turned into a coffee table. Rajagopal's love for aviation began in childhood, when he first watched a flight from a distance and collected boarding passes and inflight magazines.

This fascination evolved into a serious pursuit once he began earning and traveling more frequently. The A380, in particular, symbolizes his journey from a young aviation enthusiast to a man who has traveled to 59 destinations across six continents on the aircraft. Despite the bold transformation, Rajagopal insists his living room remains a private sanctuary, where he can immerse himself in his passion and recharge his spirit.