Ms DD Posted March 30, 2007 Billionaire signs up for ultimate toy By Alistair Osborne, Business Editor Last Updated: 1:22am BST 30/03/2007 A mystery Middle Eastern client has signed a letter of intent for the ultimate boys' toy - a VIP version of the double-decker Airbus A380 superjumbo. The client, whose identity remains a closely guarded secret, has asked Airbus for the first available manufacturing slot for an aircraft that executives have dubbed internally as "The Flying Palace". An A380 gets a shower on the runway. The superjumbos have enough floor space for 10 squash courts Airbus already has more than 150 commercial orders for the A380, which is designed to carry 555 passengers in a typical seating configuration, but is running two years behind delivery schedules. With a list price of $310m (£158m), the A380 is already a bit of a stretch for all but the jet-set's highest flyers. But the billionaire client is expected to spend anything up to $100m more kitting out the aircraft with a conference room, kitchen galley, cocktail bar, gymnasium, Jacuzzi and several 42in plasma TV screens. And that's not to mention a master bedroom offering more comfort than usual for those keen to join the mile-high club. The letter of intent has sparked a flurry of interest from companies specialising in interior aircraft design, with Lufthansa Technik, a subsidiary of the German airline, mocking up a luxury A380 model. Aage Dunhaupt, a spokesman for Lufthansa Technik, said the company is now marketing the A380 VIP version in the Middle East. "We are looking into the first customised designs," he said. "The first buyer is likely to be a sheikh, a prince or a government." He said there was already a big market for customised commercial aircraft, such as Boeing 737s and 747s and Airbus A319s. There are around 300 such aircraft flying. "We've just completed our 12th 747 jumbo job," he said. But there remains one problem for any A380 owner. Only the world's biggest airports can handle the plane, making it hard to travel incognito. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/03/30/cnairb30.xml Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
