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Nicolas Sarkozy's New Plane

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

France's fashionable leader Nicolas Sarkozy isn't going to let the economy stand in the way of his new plane. The London Times reports that Sarkozy will be getting a new Airbus A330-200 plane that is bigger than the planes used by other European leaders but not as big as President Obama's Boeing 747-200 otherwise known as Air Force One. The ten-year-old plane was bought from Air Caraibes, the Caribbean airline, and will be outfitted with desks for Sarkozy and a secretary, a meeting room for 12 people and seating for 60 passengers as well as a bedroom and a private bathroom.

Overall the cost of the plane is expected to be 176 million euros (around $227 million) including the refit and the plane should come into service next year. The Times article says that Sarkozy wanted a new plane but went with a used one to save money. The new plane is part of an official fleet in which six Falcon corporate jets will be swapped out for a pair of Falcon 7Xs and four Falcon 2000s.

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Tags: airbus, france, nicolas sarkozy, NicolasSarkozy, plane

Russian Billionaire Threatens To Cancel Billion Dollar Plane Order

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings, Wealth

alexander lebedevYou don't get to be a billionaire without playing a little hardball. We've covered Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev before for his interest in publishing but Lebedev also owns the airline Blue Wings. This week Germany revoked his company's operating license meaning that the budget carrier can no longer transport passengers in Germany. Lebedev's response was quick and brutal. As Bloomberg reports, he has said he will have to cancel $1 billion order for Airbus SAS planes.

German's aviation officials stated that Blue Wings has "business problems." Lebedev has said he will appeal the decision. Currently Blue Wings has 10 Airbus A320s that fly between Germany and Russia with additional charter flights to Turkey and the Middle East. The Airbus order would have added 20 more A320s to the fleet allowing Blue Wings to increase its routes. Certainly Airbus can't be thrilled about the prospect of losing such a large order so it's a shrewd move on Lebedev's part to potentially pressure Germany to reconsider.

Meanwhile, the Guardian reveals that speculation about that state of Lebedev's finances continues. He has said he will sue Forbes for saying that he had lost $2.5 billion in the economic crisis.

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Tags: airbus, airlines, germany

Ugandan Tycoon Orders the Second Private Airbus A380

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings


The second potential owner of a private Airbus A380 doubledecker jet has been revealed. The first jet belongs to Saudi Arabian Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal and the second jet will go to Michael Ezra. Never heard of him? I hadn't either. Michael Ezra is a tycoon said to be the richest man in Uganda. He is just 34 and is known as a "sports philanthropist" who has supported Uganda's sports teams and once made a move to buy the Leeds United soccer team. The Daily Monitor has reported that he is paying $260 million for a the Airbus A380 and that his plane will be available in 2010. He could spend another $150 million for the custom designed interior. Preliminary plans for his plane include an office, full satellite communication equipment, a conference room for 12 persons, a karaoke room, a movie room, a gymnasium, medical center four self-contained VIP bedrooms, another four executive bedrooms, as well as a spa.The lower deck of the plane will including living quarters for flight attendants and room for three cars. Ezra's plane will likely be registered in Dubai where he does most of his business. This isn't Ezra's first spendy maneuver in 2006 he spent $250,000 in Dubai for an exclusive Centennial Mont Blanc watch as part of was part of an Emirates charity promotion to help disadvantaged children of the world (a picture of Ezra with the watch is here).

UPDATE: Michael Ezra's website is here. No mention of the plane on there.

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Tags: a380, airbus, michael ezra, private jet, PrivateJet, uganda

Airbus A320 Tests New Eco-Efficient Engine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings


The press for eco-efficient air flight is really gearing up. Last week, Virgin Atlantic tested a flight on coconut oil. Now Aero-News Network reports that an Airbus A320 test aircraft has performed the first test flight powered by the International Aero Engines' new SelectOne standard engine. This engine still uses traditional fuel but it is a new version of the V2500 engine that is more fuel-efficient with lower CO2 emissions. The engine will be available for the A319, A320 and A321. The engine will reduce fuel burn by 1 per cent (along with a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions) and will also improve time-on-wing by 20 per cent and require less maintenance. Unlike other projects, for more fuel-efficient flight, this one will be pressed into service by the end of the year.

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Tags: a320, airbus, jets, select one

Will The Airbus A380 Be Turned Into A Flying Casino

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings


This just might be the most outlandish Airbus A380 story yet. Aero-News Network reports that there is interesting in turning the doubledecker plane into a flying casino. According to the article, the planemaker mentioned onboard gaming as a possibility when the plane first came out but airlines weren't really interested because gaming areas would take up valuable space where they could put more passengers. Now Airbus reports that they have had interest from customers (presumably not airlines) who are interested in creating flying casinos. One of the major areas of interest for these planes has been from Asia, where gambling is booming. The Chinese territory of Macau is quickly overtaking Las Vegas as the world's top gambling destination. Airbus has said that the first A380 flying casino could enter service in 2012.

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Tags: a380, airbus, casino, doubledecker plane

Private Airbus A380 To Get A Gold Paint Job

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings, Celebrity Shopping


Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud the soon-to-be owner of the first private Airbus A380 is sparing no expense to make his doubledecker toy the most fabulously extravagant jet on the planet. He spent over $300 million on the plane and is currently spending more than half that much money on customizing the jet. As we've mentioned before on this site, the jet will have a whirlpool bath and sauna, a dining room paneled in marble, a gym and a desert-themed fiber-optic mural. The most incredible touch might just be the approximately $58 million he is spending to have the plane painted in gold leaf on the outside. It not only sounds luxurious it also sounds a little dangerous if the sun bounces off it. The plane will be ready in two years, until then, the prince will have to content himself with his current ride, his own 747 jumbo jet.

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Tags: a380, airbus, expire-images:2009-2-12, jumbo jet, prince al-waleed, PrinceAl-waleed, sheikh

Could the Airbus A380 Get Even Bigger?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings


The Airbus 380 is barely into its official reign as the ruler of the skies and Airbus is already planning a bigger model. Airbus says that the A380-900 would be able to carry as many as 900 passengers in a single-class configuration. The current configuration seats 500 to 800 depending on the configuration. Development on the supersized version of the already supersized jet would start in 2010, after the A380 reaches full production.

Of course, Emirates is already getting their deep pockets ready to buy this plane too. Their plan is to likely outfit the plane with around 750 seats so that it would have both premium and first-class accommodations for higher-paying passengers. There is also the possibility that other carriers could go in the opposite direction, putting as many as 1,000 seats on the plane. The new plane will likely be ready in 2015.

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Tags: a380, airbus, airplane, expire-images:2008-11-18, jet, jumbo jet

Saudi Prince Is the Owner of the First Private A380

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings, Celebrity Shopping

Ever since I heard about the Airbus A380, I knew it would make someone one very luxurious private plane. We've seen pictures of the proposed interior before but until now we didn't have owner to put with all that luxury. A while ago it was rumored that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was the owner but Airbus has announced that Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is the first private buyer of an A380. Prince Alwaleed's Flying Palace will not be his first plane, he already owns a Boeing 747-400. A gallery of the desert-themed designs for the A380 done by Edese Doret can be found here.

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Tags: a380, airbus, jet, prince alwaleed bin Talai, private plane, PrivatePlane

Emirates Airlines Stocks Up On Planes

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings


I've often written about the luxurious Emirates Airlines which operates out of Dubai, now they are expanding at a rapid rate with the announcement of the largest aircraft commitment made by any airline at one time. Fueled by high oil prices and a rapidly booming tourism industries, Emirates has been booming which shows in a $34.9 billion deal that includes orders from both Airbus and Boeing. The deal was announced at the Dubai Airshow and will include 120 Airbus A350s, 11 A380s, and 12 Boeing 777-300Ers. Emirates also comfirmed that they still want the eight A380s they ordered earlier this year and ordered three more bringing their total order of A380s to 58. Their total orders now number 246 aircraft worth a total of over $60 billion dollars.

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Tags: a380, airbus, airlines, boeing, dubai, emirates, middle east

Keep your Hands To Yourself On the Airbus A380

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings


It would seem that the Airbus A380 doubledecker jumbo jet, with its 12 first-class cabins with double beds would be built for romantic activity but Singapore Airlines, the first operator of the new Airbus A380, is intent on banning the nookie. Reuters reports that the carrier will ask passengers to refrain from doing what might come naturally in this romantic setting. The cabins are not sound proofed and as you can see in the picture above, they are not completely sealed off. The airline does not want to cause offense to other customers or the crew. Considering how many people join the mile-high club under far less comfortable conditions, I wonder how big a deterrent a simple request is going to be. I suspect that as long as the participants are quiet and discreet, there will still be quite a bit of action taking place in those first-class suites.

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Tags: a380, airbus, expire-images:2008-11-1, mile high club, singapore airlines

Airbus A380 Luxury Plane Tickets Sell for $100,000

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings


You've been reading about it, you've been hearing about it, and now it's finally happened: those two tickets up for auction for a luxury suite (plus all kinds of other goodies) on the maiden voyage of the Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 have finally sold -- for $100,000. That sounds like a lot of money to pay for a flight from Singapore to Sydney, but of course it's on an Airbus, it includes a lot of other perks, and that's actually a lot less than what the airline was hoping to get for charity (the "Buy it now" was $380,000). What a bargain!

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Tags: 380, A380, airbus, airfare, airline, airlines, auction, bid, bidding, charity, doubledecker jet, DoubledeckerJet, flight, fly, jet, most expensive, MostExpensive, plane, singapore, singapore airlines, SingaporeAirlines, ticket, tickets, wings

Singapore Airlines To Auction Off Seats On The A380

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings, Auctions, Charity


As I've mentioned in the past, Singapore Airlines is the first commercial airline to get their hands on an Airbus A380. They have now announced that they will be auctioning off seats on the first commercial flight of the A380 between Singapore and Sydney. Tickets for the first flight of this doubledecker jet will be offered on eBay, with the proceeds going to Singapore's Community Chest, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwich, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Doctors Without Borders. Exxon Mobil Aviation will donate the fuel for the flight.

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Tags: a380, airbus, airplane, charity, doubledecker jet, jet, singapore airlines, SingaporeAirlines

Versace Designs An A319 Jet

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings


Versace and TAG to are teaming up to design a luxury interior for private Airbus 319 jet. If you've seen the many Versace designs for helicopters, jets and homes, the picture above is no surprise. The Versace look of black and white with high-end furnishings and the Greek key motif is so well-established you'd think anyone could just copy it. But then it wouldn't be a Versace. The A319 is being designed for a European client and will go into service in the fourth quarter of 2008. The plane will have four compartments with 16 luxury seats, a salon, galley, business office and a state room with an ensuite bathroom.

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Tags: a319, airbus, private jet, versace

The First Customer-Painted Airbus A380

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings


The first customer-painted Airbus A380 has been revealed. Singapore Airlines has the honor of being the first to splash their logo on the ultimate doubledecker jumbo jet. It took 21 days for 100 workers in four shifts to polish and paint the blue and gold Singapore Airlines logo and the name "Singapore Airlines" across the massive plane. The job also took over 580 gallons of paint. Airbus is trying to minimize the ecological damage from the massive project, electrostatic pistols are used to minimize paint mist and used air is cleaned and washed through a multi-stage cleaning process. Singapore Airline will receive the aircraft in October.

[via Asia Travel Tips]

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Tags: a380, airbus, airline, aviation, jumbo jet

More Pics Of The Private Airbus A380

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings


Ask and you shall receive! Well, little by little at least. Last month Deidre wished for pictures of something other than the dining room of the Private Airbus A380 (as glorious as it may be) and today we have them. They might not be of the whirlpool, master bedroom suite, or the game room, but we do have a sketch of the desert-themed lounge and some very glamorous-looking photos of the grand entrance and VIP lounge.

There's five new pictures in all (if you don't count the dining room) and all I can say is wow. That, and I'm still waiting for a shot of that "glimmering desert mural" behind the curtain we keep hearing about.



[Thanks, Timothy!]

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Tags: 380, A380, airbus, jet, pics, pictures, plane, private

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