Hollywood star and aviation enthusiast John Travolta has bought himself an €8m Zeppelin airship for Christmas.

Travolta, who is a qualified pilot, told wife Kerry Preston he "had to have" one of the eight-ton flying machines after spotting it in a festive catalogue.

The airship will be the third plane 49-year-old star owns.

He already has a Boeing 707 and a Gultstream executive jet at his Florida home, which is designed to look like an old-fashioned airport with runways, arrivals hall and a departure lounge.