airbus

Nicolas Sarkozy's New Presidential Plane Gets A Test Flight

Filed under: Wings

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

Emirates Orders 32 More Airbus A380s

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Airlines in the U.S. seem to having their troubles but Emirates, the largest Arab carrier, is growing at an astounding rate. At the Berlin Air Show the company announced that it has ordered 32 A380s from Airbus for $11.5 billion. That's in addition to the previously ordered 58 A380s to make a massive fleet of the doubledecker aircraft. In the past two years Emirates has put 10 A380s into operation to serve eight destinations.The company had a record profit increase of 248 percent in the last fiscal year and has said it could hit $1 billion in profits this year.

Tags: a380, A380 superjumbo, Airbus, AirbusA380, emirates

View the Total Solar Eclipse From 40,000 Feet

by Amy Cortese (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events

Been there, done that? How about total umbral immersion 40,000 feet in the air?

For thrill seekers, that's the pitch from Rick Brown, a self-described "eclipse-chaser" who has chartered an Airbus jet that will fly into the path of a total eclipse of the sun set to occur on July 11. (And you thought that was just a Carly Simon lyric).

Total eclipses typically occur only once every year or two. And viewing them can be a challenge: they are often only visible from remote parts of the Earth, and even if you make the trek, clouds or weather can obscure the view. On July 11, for example, the moon's shadow, or umbra, will sweep across the South Pacific in a narrow band, only making landfall on Easter Island and a few atolls in French Polynesia. The "totality," as the period when the sun is completely blocked by the moon is called, will last just four minutes on the ground.

Enter Rick Brown and his EFLIGHT 2010. The forty or so eclipse-chasing passengers high above the clouds will watch as the moon's shadow approach them from over 200 miles away before basking in the darkness of the lunar shadow and gazing at the sun's pearly white corona for nearly 10 full minutes - which Brown says will be a record viewing time.

Tags: adventure travel, Airbus, astronomy, Easter Island, Eclipse Chasers, jet charter, polynesia, private jet, solar eclipse, tahiti

Continue reading “View the Total Solar Eclipse From 40,000 Feet”

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

You 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

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