Saddam Hussein

A Cotswold plane scrappage company has been the unlikely resting place of Saddam Hussein’s stolen private jet – which is now being used in TV shows and movies, in part due to its excellent 80s interior

If you’re on the hunt for Saddam Hussein’s private jet, you might not think to look in the Cotswolds.

Yet, it’s in this picturesque part of England where you’ll find the former Iraqi dictator’s personal aircraft. Air Salvage International, a plane scrappage firm based at Cotswold Airport, has been the custodian of the VIP-equipped Boeing 727 for nearly a decade.

While most of the company’s planes are dismantled and sold off, sometimes fetching up to £10 million per jet, managing director Mark Gregory can’t bring himself to part with this particular flying machine.It’s not just its connection to Saddam (whose Iraqi Airways nicked Kuwait Airways’ entire fleet during the 1990 invasion) that makes it special, but also its retro ’80s interior.

Originally owned by the Kuwaiti Royal family, the 189-seat jet was gutted of its standard uncomfortable airplane seats and decked out with an array of kitschy furniture that could fill a retirement home. Think plush velour seats with extendable footrests, state-of-the-art JVC TVs embedded into mahogany walls, and glass vases brimming with plastic roses, all sitting next to unopened bottles of champagne.

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READ MORE: Inside the eerie UK ‘plane graveyard’ where jumbo jets from around the world are ditched

Before the Iraqi forces swooped in and commandeered the Kuwaiti fleet, Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and other wealthy royals used the opulent plane for their global travels. Where there is now a patch of carpet overrun by mould, the Emir once sat on a specially built throne, using radio equipment to issue orders to his staff from 30,000 feet above.

Following the Western invasion of Iraq and Saddam’s execution, the private jet changed ownership multiple times until it was sold to Air Salvage International by Jersey-based Strong Aviation on 29 June 2016. Now at 45 years old, the aircraft’s value is virtually nil and its flying days are over – despite Mark maintaining it in full working order and taking it for a spin on the runway every ten days.

These days, it sees most action as a film set for TV programmes and films, including McDonald and Dodds, Casualty, The Lazarus Project, Hijack with Idris Elba, Star Wars, Mission: Impossible, and Doctor Who. Next time you watch a dramatic plane crash or runway scene on screen, keep an eye out for some suspiciously Gloucestershire-like countryside in the background. Or even Mark’s arms.

When he’s not making money from old planes or drumming away in his office by the runway, the ponytailed scrap tycoon can be partially seen on the big screen, “piloting” the Boeing 727 in its latest cinematic adventure.

Air Salvage International first began 30 years ago. Armed with redundancy money in the early ’90s, Mark bought his first plane and spent six months breaking it down into sellable bits. More than 1,400 aircraft later, the business is thriving and employs dozens of people to cope with the growing demand from the ever-expanding aviation industry.

And there are big bucks at stake. The equivalent of a commercial jet’s MOT costs around £1 million, which is why many plane owners decide to send their ageing aircraft to Mark instead. Sometimes as much as £12 million can be salvaged from them, either in reusable parts or recyclable materials.

For the past 30 years, Mark Gregory’s Air Salvage International (ASI) has been assessing, chopping up, disassembling, and recycling planes at the private airfield, which sits two miles from Kemble in Gloucestershire

What connects Saddam Hussein, Tom Cruise and Doctor Who? Cotswolds Airport, of course.

The mass murderer, the action star, and the BBC space drama have all starred, in their own way, at one of the most curious pieces of the aviation industry: the plane graveyard.

For the past 30 years, Mark Gregory’s Air Salvage International (ASI) has been assessing, chopping up, disassembling, and recycling planes at the private airfield, which sits two miles from Kemble in Gloucestershire.

Armed with redundancy money in the early ’90s, Mark bought his first plane and spent six months breaking it down into sellable bits. More than 1,400 aircraft later, the business is thriving and employs dozens of people to cope with the growing demand from the ever-expanding aviation industry.

READ MORE: ‘I lost my mind taking the train to Spain – there are three problems’

And there are big bucks at stake. The equivalent of a commercial jet’s MOT costs around £1 million, which is why many plane owners decide to send their ageing aircraft to Mark instead. Sometimes as much as £12 million can be salvaged from them, either in reusable parts or recyclable materials.

There are a few other strings to the business’s bow, Mark explained as he took me on a tour around the facility.

ASI puts on dramatic training scenarios for organisations including the SAS, helping them practise plane-related emergencies. One mock-up situation had Mark and his team crush a van with a plane fuselage, creating a tricky day out for the special forces, who also had to deal with hijackers and “injured” passengers on board.

The airport and its jets are also movie stars. Countless films have been shot at ASI, including The Fast and the Furious 6, World War Z, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Mission: Impossible, and Batman. You may also recognise it from small-screen appearances on The One Show, Horizon, Inside Out, Terror in the Skies, Engineering Giants, Casualty and, of course, Doctor Who.

Look closely the next time you see a dramatic plane disaster or runway scene on screen, and you might spot some suspiciously Gloucestershire countryside in the background — or even Mark’s arms.

When not making cash out of old planes or hammering away at the drum kit set up in his runway-side office, the ponytail-sporting scrap magnate can be partially seen on the silver screen, “piloting” the Boeing 727 in its latest movie escapade.

Although many of the firms that send their planes to ASI know exactly what they want back — a demand list that can stretch to 2,000 parts from a single jet — other aircraft meet less formulaic fates.

One big chunk of fuselage ended up in the shadows of The Swarm rollercoaster at Thorpe Park. Others are sent out to aviation buffs who want to decorate their homes with various bits and pieces. Through ASI’s sister site, planestation.aero, you can buy a redundant pilot’s seat for £6,000, or small sections of fuselage with a window for £150. The money raised is spent on the staff Christmas party.

Seat pockets filled with cash-stuffed wallets also occasionally bolster the coffers, although most of these find their way back to their owners.

Another offshoot of the business is crash site investigation. Although downed planes rarely make it to ASI due to the extent of the damage, members of Mark’s team are occasionally called out to inspect the aftermath of major aviation tragedies.

Their expertise in breaking aircraft down makes them particularly useful when it comes to identifying remains and helping determine what went wrong. They were part of the investigation into the Afriqiyah Airways crash in Tripoli, Libya, in 2010, which killed 104 people.

While most of the firm’s planes get broken down and flogged off — sometimes for £10 million for a single jet — Mark Gregory can’t bear to give up certain flying machines that come his way.

One such plane is a VIP-fitted Boeing 727 that was once part of Saddam Hussein’s fleet, after he instructed Iraqi Airways to steal all of Kuwait Airways’ planes during its 1990 invasion of the country. Mark loves the historical significance of the aircraft and its classic ’80s interior.

When owned by the Kuwaiti royal family, the 189-capacity jet was stripped of its standard bum-numbing plane seats and kitted out with enough chintzy furniture to fill a retirement village. We’re talking plush velour seats with extendable footrests, cutting-edge JVC TVs built into mahogany walls, and glass vases filled with plastic roses next to still-unopened bottles of bubbly.

Before Iraqi forces swooped in and took over the Kuwaiti fleet, Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and other well-heeled royals used the plush plane to jet-set. On a patch of carpet now taken over by mould spores, the Emir would sit in a specially constructed throne, using radio equipment to issue commands to his staff from 30,000 feet.

A fascinating Sky Documentary airing tonight tells the shocking scandal of British Airways Flight 149, that was held as a hostage of war by Saddam Hussein in 1990

Jolting, rocking and explosions left the passengers on a British Airways flight terrified before their flight became a hostage of war. The extraordinary – and until recently, officially denied – scandal is told in the fascinating Sky Docs and NOW TV documentary Flight 149: Hostage Of War (on tonight, June 11th, at 9pm). It explores the unbelievable story of what happened when a civilian plane unwittingly touched down in the middle of a warzone in 1990.

Jennifer Chappell was just 12 years old when she was one of those taken hostage in Kuwait on Flight 149 – and the terror of those four months has left her traumatised for life. She says: “My future was stolen. The danger was very real and present, there were soldiers with guns. It was such a horrible experience. That was the last shred of my childhood gone.”

The tragedy unfolded on August 2, 1990, just after Saddam Hussain’s forces stormed Kuwait, when BA Flight 149 stopped there to refuel on route from London Heathrow to Madras. Jennifer, who was travelling with her mum, dad and older brother John, recalls: “I was looking out of the window and I saw two planes go past and then I saw things fall from the bottom. I thought I was seeing a horrible midair collision.” Then came the realisation it was bombs.

The passengers and crew found themselves trapped, held as hostages by Hussein, becoming pawns in a rapidly escalating international crisis. For over three decades, the British government denied any prior knowledge of the invasion, but new information has come to light and some of the hostages are taking the British government and BA to court to seek justice and the truth. Passenger Barry Manners says: “I’d like the unvarnished truth.”

*Flight 149: Hostage Of War airs on Sky Documentaries and

There’s plenty more on TV tonight – here’s the best of the rest..

SPEED CAMERAS: ARE THEY OUT TO GET YOU? 5, 8pm

Are speed cameras targeting us for extra cash, or are they innocently keeping us safe? Well obviously we could all just drive a bit slower, but this tongue-in-cheek show is packed with drivers complaining about these “sneaky” cash cows. In England and Wales in 2023, we racked up 2.6 million speeding offences, costing motorists over £200 million. The money goes to central government where it can be spent on anything.

Not ideal says motoring expert Quentin Wilson, who says: “If the public saw that the revenue raised from speeding fines made a visible difference, then perhaps the public would be more behind them.” However, Chief Constable Jo Shiner, National Police Chiefs Council lead for roads policing, says: “We should be trying to educate people that there’s a speed limit for a reason and it’s there to make our road’s safer.” This documentary also looks at 20mph roads, the impact of driving awareness courses and meets people looking at our driving behaviour, all hoping to slow Britain down.

EXTRAORDINARY, ITV2, 10.05pm

The return of this sharp, fresh sitcom that is set in a world where everyone over the age of 18 develops a superpower. Everyone that is, except for Jen. Breathing new life into the over-done superhero genre, this follows Jen (Máiréad Tyers) as she struggles to be the only adult she knows who is a completely ordinary human. Her best friend Carrie (Sofia Oxenham) can channel spirits of the dead, while friend Kash (Bilal Hasna) can rewind time, like a slightly clunky superman. Watch out for Siobhan McSweeney as Mary, Jen’s mother who can control technology.

As season two starts, everyone seems to have a romantic dilemma. Carrie and Kash try to move on from their break up, while Jen works out whether to give up on on amnesiac shapeshifter Jizzlord (Luke Rollason) when she solves the mystery of his past. Jen also enrols at the clinic, hoping that a therapist can help her find her power.

EMMERDALE, ITV1, 7.30pm

The police arrive at Tug Ghyll with a search warrant. Tracy remains adamant that it’s pointless, but is gobsmacked when the police reveal Nate’s phone was found in Frankie’s playhouse. Tracy can barely control her fear as the officers lead her out to question her at the station. Tracy later spots Cain and wastes no time in making it clear she still suspects him of Nate’s murder. Battle lines are drawn. Vinny is horrified to realise he’s forgotten his and Gabby’s anniversary.

EASTENDERS, BBC1, 7.30pm

Kat is at a loss as Jean encourages her to talk to Alfie. Patrick meanwhile gives Alfie the same advice. The couple finally have a frank conversation about their issues. But when Kat mentions the video she found, Alfie is confused. Yolande opens up to Denise about the state of her relationship with Patrick. Felix tells Elaine that he saw George and Cindy together looking cosy. Drew gives Elaine a pep talk, after which she makes a shocking decision.

CORONATION STREET, ITV1, 8pm

On the morning of Craig’s memorial, Sarah is concerned to discover that Kit has already left for the day – especially as he’s making a speech. Lou continues to wind up Maria in the salon who orders her to hold the fort while she attends the memorial, but will she be welcomed? Theo assures Todd that he’s only moved out for the sake of his kids and their relationship is far from over. Sally and Tim discuss their training session with the fostering agency.

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