The latest in a long line of corporate tie-ups for U.K. helicopter-hire specialist Charter-A Ltd has taken off with Deliveroo launching Europe’s highest restaurant – the Roocopter dining experience in London.
Surrey-based Charter-A Ltd is providing and piloting the Leonardo AW109 helicopter, which has been fully wrapped in Deliveroo’s teal-colored branding and transformed into Roocopter One, the capital’s hottest new dining venue.
Charter-A Ltd flies Roocoptor to 1,000 feet, almost double the height of its nearest competitor, The City’s Duck and Waffle (574 ft). Deliveroo has offset the carbon to ensure the environmental impact is low.
The first day of flights in Roocopter One sold out in just a few hours, with 48 passengers enjoying breakfast, lunch and dinner from eateries including Five Guys, Wagamama, Chipotle, BabaBoom and Joe Public.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has agreed to Charter-A Ltd hiding the helicopter’s registration number so that the Deliveroo branding is given maximum visibility as it streaks across the London skyline.
Mark Zaiger, Charter-A Ltd’s owner, said: “From the moment they first approached us, Deliveroo have been amazing to work with. They are a young team and incredibly creative, and it has been fascinating to see the campaign from first thoughts to flight.
“We can now add Deliveroo to a strong list of successful corporate partnerships that also includes Nike and the National Lottery. We have seen a big increase in business inquiries as people’s taste for never-forget experiences continues to grow, and we look forward to announcing new tie-ups soon.”
Test flights have already been carried out, and early results from London diners have been overwhelmingly positive.
Sarah Cox, a TFL worker from New Cross, said: “Flying past The Shard eating tacos is one of the most memorable meals and experiences of my life. I’ve never flown in a helicopter before and to do this over my lunch break has completely changed my week and my life. I hope it happens more – it’s a great thing for our city.”
NHS worker Kimberly Allain said: “I’m actually not even sure why I signed up for this, I hate heights! But I love food and it was something I will never forget.”
And Deliveroo’s Joe Groves added: “At Deliveroo we want to bring amazing and memorable food experiences to our customers, wherever they are – be that a local park, office, the comfort of your home or 1,000 ft in the air.”
What a waste of jet fuel. I guess there really must be people sitting around somewhere wondering what they can do with a helicopter to make a few euros, pounds or dollars that some sucker will climb on board for. Glad I’m not a bus boy for that clean up. Maybe they use a medical floor and a hose after each flight.