High-rolling gamblers may soon be cashing in their chips with the great casino in the sky.
Airbus has been approached by potential Asian buyers who are looking to turn its A380 'superjumbo' aircraft into a flying casino, says the European aircraft-maker.
Fran�ois Chazelle, who heads the Airbus executive and private aviation division, said: "Discussions are under way, and not just with casino operators." Should the talks lead to an order soon, a fully-fitted casino A380 could be delivered between 2012 and 2017, he said.
"This (gambling) is clearly a growing business in Asia and what this interest reflects is what is happening in Macao and Singapore," he said. "The idea of a flying casino has been mentioned before but it's now looking a lot more concrete."
Macao has overtaken Las Vegas as the world's biggest gaming centre, while Singapore is planning to open its first casino next year.
However, there are strict curbs, or outright casino bans, on gambling in much of Asia, including Thailand and mainland China. Nevertheless, operators have long offered gambling-boat cruises out of cities such as Hong Kong into international waters.
Mr Chazelle said the legal loophole aspect was "certainly a factor but I think it is more about the attraction of being able to offer such an extraordinary activity". He said the A380 was the first aircraft large enough for a full-fledged casino operation. "If this could have worked before, I'm sure it would have," he said.
The Airbus talks also follow recent reports that US gaming operator Sands is planning an air link between its Venetian casinos in Las Vegas and Macao that will allow passengers to play baccarat on two private jets. Mr Chazelle would not name possible casino clients for the A380 and whether Sands was among them.
Contacted on Wednesday, Macao-based gaming executives said they were not aware that any of the territory's six licensed operators had entered discussions to purchase a flying casino. "It would give 'fiscal flight' a whole new meaning," said one sceptical casino executive, who noted potential government concerns that aerial gaming would be unregulated and untaxed.
Daniel Lehnberg, business development manager for the Asia Pacific Poker Tour, which last year arranged Macao's first Texas Hold'em tournament, said governments would most probably want to enforce new laws if flying casinos were to develop.
Additional reporting by Tom Mitchell
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