Nicolas Sarkozy's New Presidential Plane Gets A Test Flight

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Aug 1st 2010 at 4:00PM

Looks like it will soon be wheels up for French President Nicolas Sarkozy. His new plane, a specially outfitted Airbus A330-200 has had its first test flight in Bordeaux. The $235 million plane is Sarkozy's answer to Air Force One (Obama rides in a Boeing 747-200) and comes with a 12-man meeting room, 60 business class seats, a bedroom for the president, a shower and an air filter system so he can smoke cigars. It is protected by a top-grade encrypted communications systems, a reinforced fuselage and missile decoy system. The ten-year-old plane was bought from Air Caraibes, the Caribbean airline. Two smaller A319s are currently used for the French President and will be sold. He has also ordered two Falcon 7Xs for smaller, shorter trips. One of the planes is reportedly named the Carla One after Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni.

According to an article in the Telegraph, the French government denies that the plane is an extravagance. A government spokesperson said that the plane isn't ostentatious but is "equipment fitting for the world's fifth power." Sarkozy has been under fire for his luxury spending before. His lavish trips around the world and time spent in private jets and on lavish yachts has raised eyebrows.

Tags: Airbus, Carla Bruni, carla bruni-sarkozy, france, Nicolas Sarkozy

Filed under: Wings

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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)

John Pinero Aug 3rd 2010 2:49PM

Actually, the # of death threats against obama increased because of the stupid things he has been doing. Color of his skin has nothing to do with the dumb things he does. He just has no common sense. As for the French President and his expensive tastes, so what. Its none of our business. He is not our President. We already have One. It would be nice if he were as smart as the French President though. Finally, the 1st Lady of France is very attractive. Slim, not too wide of a butt, nice face, and she speaks well and seems intelligent. Shame we can't swap Presidents and 1st Ladies.

Don Aug 3rd 2010 4:11PM

I like Nicolas Sarkozy, I've said it before, lets take Sarkozy and give the French Obama !!!

Margot Hilaire Aug 3rd 2010 7:30PM

I wonder if it is only cigars he smokes.
Vote for Tom Tencredo of Colorado.He will let all of us smoke mariuana. At least he is honest because after all it is a herb given to us be GOD!! The now poleticians suck ! How dare they tell us what we can or can not smoke ? Ill bet they do cocaine or at least get drunk every night when the lights are out. Yeah.

BOB Aug 3rd 2010 10:10PM

Typical Frenchman,
He can be in the air when he surrenders. The French "our friends" LOLOLOL

gposner29 Aug 3rd 2010 10:33PM

Luxury Spending??? Wait til the divorce...you ain't seen nothing yet.
Incidently, any of you sick and tired of percieved "racist comments"..ponder this...
RACISM IS "EARNED" BY A DISPLAY OF PSYCHOTIC, ANIMALISTIC, ABNORMAL, ANTI-SOCIAL AND DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR. Change your behavior and percieved racism substantially dissipates. Behave the same and racism will flourish....and continue...and continue...

Joseph Leslie Aug 4th 2010 12:35AM

The Sarkozy's are nothing compared to the Reagans. Remember Nancy had to have new china and silver (gold)ware. Do you remember, she took it with her when they left. It was contributed by wealthy Reagan friends, to the United States Government and Nancy said it was hers to keep and she did!

EJ Cox Aug 4th 2010 4:04AM

There is no new Air Force One plane in the offing. The planes already exisrt and have served Clinton and Bush prior to Obama.

President Obama refused to spend billions on new helicopters making due with those already in service.

Those of you that forget he is our President and we have always treated our Presidents well. If you can't stand it get a majority together and vote him out of office. Meanwhile give him the respect he is due and stop turning all things against him. I have yet to see him do anything that was not in the best interests of the United States of America. He is at least coherent and can speak not like the previous Prrsident who would forget his thoughts and make things up when he did..

WD Aug 7th 2010 6:57AM

Scary reading some of those comments here.
The Asylum must have gotten an Internet connection.

no name Aug 7th 2010 7:56AM

Michelle Obama-sama at US. tax payers expense, has hired (22) twenty-two house pets called employees, this is just what we know of to keep her lavished 24/7. This was recently reported on AOL. Compare that massive and unnecessary expense to the unhealthy Frenchman's expense. At least he is the head of their dysfunctional nation.

BRUCE HABER Aug 7th 2010 1:40PM

better tha obama and his ugly wife taking trips wasting money at least there a classy couple brought good will tom usa i boycoted grey goosev till they came and didnt drink french wines and bubly

Surfundeep Aug 7th 2010 2:10PM

At least Nancy did not steal the table settings from the People's House as the redneck Clintons did !

Doris Sachetti Aug 7th 2010 7:07PM

Joynerdl...............Have to say you are about the only posting I have read that sounds like you know what you are talking about..........It is disturbing to say the least to see how much ignorance and racism abounds in this country still.
One thing for sure is all of you naysayers should be thankful that we have Barack Obama as our President as there was no other president that could ever have attacked the horrible situation that was handed to him and put this country back on a new track. ........If you dont like the progress then youi have to thank your repubs in Congress and the Senate as theyl, the party of No will continue to try to do anything they can to demean Barack Obama, they dont give a rats azz about the country as they think if (haha) they could get back into office they would be able to change everything they ruined. Azz backwards I believe is what it is called. So as far as Nicolas Sarkozy's new presidential plane, "what does that have todo with the price of eggs in China" to us???

michelle Aug 7th 2010 8:25PM

Seems to me Obama will want one too! But what I think is we need to televise and teleconfrance so the people can see each other as in a virtual meeting room. Then they can stay home and work. That would save a pile of money. BEsdiae I remember when Clitnon shut the whole government down for a while -- Did you miss' em? I didn't.

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