Ordinary mortals can only dream of them: private jets owned by the super-rich, custom-made to satisfy their owners’ tastes and needs.
In the cabin, there are no seats marked with numbers and letters, but there are dining rooms, gyms, proper bedrooms and all possible kinds of comfort.
Roman Abramovich’s Boeing 767-33A ER is called ‘The Bandit’ and it’s just one of the three Boeings belonging to the Russian tycoon who owns Chelsea FC, but it’s definitely the most sumptuous. It features a dining room, which can host up to 30 guests, an ideal kitchen for banquets with the best international chefs and a lavish master bedroom finished in chestnut wood and precious metal. This is no huge expense considering that Abramovich equipped his jet with the same security systems that protect Air Force One!
On the subject of Air Force One, the US government has identified the Boeing 747-81VIP, also called ‘Dreamliner’, as a new potential ‘presidential candidate’. Originally internally designed to host large work spaces such as meeting rooms, conference rooms and long tables for official lunches, ‘Dreamliner’ was also chosen by the Chinese billionaire Joseph Lau, who is now a fugitive in Macao…
Another Russian tycoon, the businessman and director of sport Ališer Burchanovič Usmanov, owns the next ‘castle with wings’.
His Airbus 340-300 is worth €400 million when you count the aircraft itself and the very expensive equipment it contains. Inside is a night club area with lavish semi-circular sofas made of burgundy velvet and passenger cabins with huge, round beds.
Tired of being hassled by fans at the airport and on-board planes, the talk show queen Oprah Winfrey decided to get a private jet.
It may not be one of the biggest and most expensive jets, but it is a Gulfstream G650 with leather and briar-root interiors. And a large-screen television, obviously.
Forget about large-screen televisions, though, as Saudi prince Al-Walid bin Talal’s Boeing 747 features an electronic system that turns parts of the floor towards Mecca during the hours of prayer while flying. It also hosts a steam room and a Rolls Royce. Instead of a seat, the prince even has a real throne on board.
