A380 mega private jet for the super-rich

by Derek Yeo - LE BOURGET - 21 June 2007

SALES Director John Leahy of Airbus SAS revealed yesterday, the third day of the International Paris Air Show, an order for what must be the "mother" of private jets for the rich and famous: an Airbus A380.

Mr Leahy, however, did not disclose the buyer's identity, who was believed to be Middle-Eastern.

Although the mega-jet's delivery date was unknown, fitting of the aircraft interior was estimated to take more than a year.

The standard A380, without cabin customisation, would cost the mysterious splurger more than a cool US$300 million. Its conversion work - inclusive of three bedrooms and a dining room - could add another US$150 million to its price-tag.

According to Lufthansa Technik, the German company specializing in customising big jets for personal use, some 20 Boeing B747s worldwide have been converted into private jetliners. Technik's Director of Communications Aage Duenhaupt said, "Buyers are rich individuals or governments and mostly situated in the Middle East.

Operating the massive A380, however, poses logistical challenges for private operators. Now, only a handful of airports around the globe are capable of handling the A380: Singapore's Changi, Paris Orly, London's Heathrow, Sydney's Kingsford-Smith, Frankfurt and San Francisco.

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