More Details On The First Private Airbus 380

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Feb 20th 2007 at 7:04PM

Ever since I heard about the Airbus 380, the massive double-decker jumbo jet, I knew that some billionaire with a need to roam in luxury would buy one and turn it into a private jet. Now the Wall Street Journal has a story on the first private A380, a project we first heard about way back in 2005. The $300 million plane will be going to an unnamed Middle Eastern head of state who will be spending at least additional $100 million on the interior. Jet interior designer (now there's a gig to have) will be creating The Flying Palace, a plane with two dining areas, a 600-plus-square-foot master bedroom , game room and an Arabian desert-themed lounge with curtains that resemble tents and a fiber-optic mosaic of a shifting desert scene. What is most intriguing is Doret's plan to create a whirlpool tub on the plane. The tub is designed in such a way that it can rapidly drain into the cargo hold if necessary.

The Airbus A380 has been dogged by manufacturing delays and other problems and it was only this month that the press finally got to take a short flight on the plane. There are also major questions about where A380 owners will be able to land the behemoth. Most runways are too small for the plane and airports have been slow to create the expanded landing spots needed. It sounds like the owner of the A380 may be able to sympathize with Larry Ellison, the owner of the Rising Sun megayacht, it's a shame to have the most fabulous creation in the world and have nowhere to park it.

Tags: a380, airbus, plane, private