This plane is permanently parked next to an outlet shopping complex in Melaka

The Coach Airways aircraft can be seen from the highway. — MELODY L. GOH/The Star

In the past two years or so, those who have gone on a road trip to Melaka – or further south – from the Klang Valley or anywhere else up north, might have seen a lone plane parked by the side of a road.

It’s a curious thing to see, especially since there was hardly any signboard around to explain the plane’s existence. Google did not provide any answers either.

However, since May 20, this aeroplane has become one of the most talked about new attractions in Melaka, thanks to the millions of hashtags and mentions on social media. The plane is now a unique pop-up store for Coach, an affordable luxury brand from the US with several outlets in Malaysia.

Officially launched last weekend, Coach Airways is the world’s first retail concept store that’s housed in a plane. More than that, though, Coach Airways is also kind of a brand in itself, as it comes with its own logo (there’s a plane hidden within the first “C”). Some of the items sold there are exclusive to Coach Airways, too.

The plane is located right outside the popular Freeport A’Famosa Outlet shopping complex in Alor Gajah, and just a few metres away from the popular A’Famosa Resort.

The aircraft is a decommissioned Boeing 747-230B from 1981, once hailed as the king of aircraft in the 1970s and 1980s. This particular one was previously used as a cargo carrier.

“We bought the plane at an auction two years ago, and spent about three months transporting the parts from Kuala Lumpur to this area. And then it took us another half a year or so to put the parts back together,” said Datuk Julian Lau, the director of Freeport A’Famosa Outlet in an interview during the launch.

The plane had to be taken apart as it could no longer be safely flown; even if it could take to the skies, there was no runway at the location for it to land. “I think the hardest part for us was putting it back together. Everything had to be in the correct place and order. It’s not very often that you can get your hands on a Boeing 747 so we wanted to do things properly,” Lau said.

The Melaka state government says that Freeport A’Famosa Outlet has the potential to bring in more international tourists.

He added that the company had initially wanted to turn the place into a conceptual dining space, to complement the outlet complex. “About a year ago we approached Coach with this idea but they weren’t too keen on it. Instead, they had a different idea – a retail concept store, and from there the project took off pretty smoothly,” Lau shared.

The plane spans 390sq m, and was completely transformed into Coach Airways by the brand itself. The livery features the store’s name and three stripes painted around the whole plane, in the retro colour combinations of orange and brown. Inside, there’s a mock cockpit, a luxury, first-class lounge and two retail spaces. At the tail of the plane is a coffee bar, and if you buy any item from the store, you’ll get a complimentary beverage of your choice.

Major project

According to Lau, the whole transformation project cost the brand about RM10mil – just the livery alone cost RM300,000 to paint. Freeport, meanwhile, built the two skybridges attached to the plane.

He added that while Coach Airways is actually a pop-up store (which means it is supposed to be a temporary fixture), he feels confident that the brand may remain a permanent part of Freeport, judging by the positive response it is getting via visitor and sales numbers.

“The decision is up to the brand, of course, but we only opened in May and we’ve seen a significant increase in visitor numbers to both Freeport and Coach Airways, so hopefully this momentum continues,” said Lau.

The launch was also attended by Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, director-general of Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Dr Ammar Abd Ghapar and Campbell O’Shea, general manager of Tapestry South-East Asia & Oceania, the parent company for Coach.

“The opening of this attraction will definitely help boost Melaka’s image as a top-of-mind destination in Malaysia, whether among domestic tourists or international visitors. It provides an exciting shopping experience to everyone, and the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry welcomes this move,” said Dr Ammar.

Beautification projects along the Melaka River are being planned.

He added that while the attraction is well known among domestic tourists, it now has the potential to pull in more international visitors.

Meanwhile, the chief minister said in a statement, “... (this) marks a significant milestone in the state’s dedication to enhancing its tourism offerings for the public. This launch aligns with the objectives of VMY 2024 to achieve the targeted numbers.”

Rauf revealed that as many as 500 school leavers are expected to join Volunteer Melaka, a programme that set up by the Melaka government in conjunction with VMY 2024, which carries the slogan, “Mana lagi? Melaka ler!”, which is said to follow the local way of pronouncing “lah” as “ler”.

Rauf said the volunteers will be given hospitality and tourism industry training, as well as lessons in the history of Melaka, and Malaysia in general.

“These volunteers will be our tourism ambassadors and we hope to instil the Melaka spirit in them,” he said in a separate interview at the launch.

He added that the state is also gazetting a strategic area that is being identified along the Melaka River, to be promoted as a cultural site. This site will showcase the diversity of culture and arts found in Melaka and will involve the Malay, Baba and Nyonya, Portuguese and Chettiar communities.

The Hang Tuah Village will be upgraded, as part of the preparations for Visit Melaka Year 2024. — The Star

Upgrades and updates

Rauf also spoke of another initiative – to place the Kapal Diraja (KD) Hang Tuah in Melaka. KD Hang Tuah, which is owned by the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), was turned into a naval museum in 2018, and has since remained in Lumut, Perak.

He said that the state has been in discussion with the RMN, and believes that a final decision will be announced soon. “KD Hang Tuah is set to come to Melaka, we just need to decide on a location within the state – whether to place it in Klebang or at Dataran Pahlawan,” Rauf said, adding that the naval museum is another one of a handful new tourism products the state is planning for next year.

Currently, Melaka’s preparations for VMY 2024 are 70% complete, said State Tourism, Heritage, Arts and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman in a report published in The Star in early June. He believes that a 100% completion will be reached soon through the cooperation of all parties, including government departments, agencies and tourism industry players in the state.

The state government has set a target of RM23.4bil in tourism dollars for next year, and in order for this to happen, many of the existing attractions need to be upgraded and/or improved. So far, several tourist spots and attractions have already gotten allocations for upgrading works.

The Melaka Submarine Museum in Klebang, which is currently closed. Plans are underway to bring the KD Hang Tuah Naval Museum from Lumut to the state, and it may be placed in Klebang.

The Hang Tuah Village in Duyong, for example, will be upgraded at an allocated cost of RM4mil, Melaka Museum Corporation (Perzim) chairman Datuk Akramuddin Abdul Aziz said in a report by Bernama. The upgrade is part of the preparation for VMY 2024, and involves improvements to the infrastructure and exhibits at the museum, as well as to make the place more comfortable for visitors.

“The quotation or tender for the upgrade of the Hang Tuah Village was done by the Melaka Public Works Department, and the upgrading process is expected to commence soon so that it can be completed before VMY 2024,” said Akramuddin in the report.

Also, the Chief Minister’s Gallery in Bukit Peringgit and the Melaka Yang-DiPertua Negeri Museum in Banda Hilir, which were temporarily closed for upgrading works, will reopen to the public soon. A total of RM1.5mil was allocated for these two tourist attractions, bringing the total number of museums and galleries managed by Perzim to 23 from the existing 21.

The corporation targets a collection of RM5mil from ticket sales for all 23 museums during VMY 2024.

Other initiatives include a clean-up and beautification project along the Melaka River, developments at Dataran 1Malaysia Klebang and upgrades to the Mini Malaysia & Asean Cultural Park in Ayer Keroh, a 32-year-old park that has definitely seen better days.

According to the chief minister, the state will select a day to give tourists the opportunity to experience the river cruise service for free. There are also plans to organise a kite festival and hot air balloon rides at Klebang.

---

Beyond Banda Hilir

One of Melaka’s most famous holiday destinations that is not located in Banda Hilir (where the Red Square and Jonker Walk are located) is the A’Famosa Resort in Alor Gajah.

It is an integrated resort comprising a golf course, a variety of accommodations, restaurants, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) facilities, a water theme park and an animal park. The resort was opened in 1992, so it is probably well known among many adult locals and folks who live in neighbouring states.

The place is more than three decades old, but the A’Famosa Resort has been, for the most part, properly maintained. Perhaps due to the pandemic, there are some areas in the sprawling 530ha that needs some tending to, though based on last week’s visit, a few upgrading works have already started.

The animals in the Safari Wonderland live in enclosures with low barriers. — Photos: Tourism Malaysia

The resort’s Water World opened to the public in 1996, while the Safari Wonderland was completed in 2001. Then, in 2002, the “Wild Wild West” attraction within the animal park was introduced. This section features a daily show of cowboys – playing good and bad characters – shooting and hitting one another in comedic ways. There’s also a “Native American” riding his very handsome horse around the fictional town ...

The park itself is pretty nice, as most of the animals are placed in large enough enclosures that either don’t have any fencing, or have minimal barriers.

If you opt for the safari, you are the one who has to sit in the back of a caged truck, while the animals roam freely around you.

The water theme park is right next to the Safari Wonderland so it’s convenient for families or groups of visitors who want to experience both attractions in one day.

A short drive away from the resort – or a 20-minute walk for those who want to add some steps to their step counter – is the Freeport A’Famosa Outlet, which was opened in 2016.

The A’Famosa Resort is about 45 minutes from Banda Hilir and an hour from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.