This NY Times article by JOE SHARKEY points to the practical limits at the top of the big business jet food chain- a private-use application of Airbus’ much maligned A380. The “cruise ship” analogy is very appropriate. If one much have unquestionably the biggest VIP jet possible, then the A380 is your ride. There is no question that the A380 will win the ramp envy contest, hands down, game over.
Runner-up in the size arena is the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinenal. As Mr. Sharkey points out, twenty-plus members of the 747 family fly the private and head-of-state skies. It’s hard to imagine a mission where a 747-8 could not reasonably do everything an A380 could provide, but with better economics. Of course when the owner is an individual and not a government, personal desires can and do outweigh decisions based purely on logistics, aquisition and operation costs.
A broader market however exists than the article may lead the reader to believe for the next tier down: an oppulent, yet (relatively) more practical Boeing 787 private jet. As big as a BBJ or ACJ is -even considering the largest family member, the 737-900ER-based BBJ3- there is a case to be made for a truely world conquering VIP. Properly configured, a VIP Dreamliner can non-stop its owner anywhere on Earth. That capability, along with true widebody size can appeal to any mission analyst regardless of the size of their ego. I hope you enjoy The New York Times article.
It Can Hold 853 Passengers, but Why Should You Share?
By JOE SHARKEY
I’M not sure that we need any more, but here are two new examples that define “over the top” in air travel: The superjumbo A380, all 10,000 square feet of it, as a personal or business jet. And a private airport terminal just for first-class and top elite-status passengers.
Last week, I flew on a double-deck Airbus A380, operated jointly by Airbus and Lufthansa, making a demonstration overseas trip, its first with a full passenger load, from Frankfurt to New York. There were about 500 people on board, but the huge A380 is actually certified to carry as many as 853 passengers and another two dozen crew members, in all-coach configurations.
On the other hand, it can be used to carry a lot fewer people. Airbus, which has 156 commercial orders for the plane, says it also has one letter of intent from a very rich, anonymous individual who wants a private A380 as soon as one becomes available. The airplane is about two years behind schedule for delivery to its existing customers and the first one won’t go into regular service until late this year. More private orders are expected.
Not long ago, I wrote an article about how some very rich people were unable to make do with standard corporate aircraft, even top-of-the-line Boeing business jets or Airbus corporate jets, which cost as much as $60 million fully outfitted. So they’ve been converting big airliners like 767s, 777s and even 747s into private planes.
Naturally, the A380 is now at the top of the must-have list, said Aage Dünhaupt, a spokesman for Lufthansa Technik, a Lufthansa subsidiary that specializes in the maintenance and overhaul of airliners.
We talked in a lounge on the upper deck of the A380 en route to New York from Germany. The A380 was on a trip intended to put in-flight services and systems through a dress rehearsal and to show off the plane in the United States.
Who in the world would buy an A380 for private or business use? Well, they are already in big planes. “At the moment, there are about 20 individuals who are privately flying 747s,” Mr. Dünhaupt said. Lufthansa Technik converted 12 of those 747s to private use.
An A380 costs about $310 million, without basics like seats and bulkheads. Figure on another $100 million for those necessities amid a true luxury interior, he said.
“I’m not expecting that a Fortune 500 company will be standing up and saying, now we need an A380,” he acknowledged. “It is hard to explain how to use it for business purposes, that’s for sure.”
Of course, some people don’t have to explain anything. Lufthansa Technik is among the aircraft-conversion specialists now actively marketing the A380 as a personal and/or business jet to that market, which is chiefly in the Middle East, he said.
A slick brochure describes the A380 V.I.P. as “simply the ultimate aircraft” for private travel. The floor plans look like that of a cruise ship, with a lounge the size of a hotel lobby and a master bedroom that looks like a five-star hotel suite.
“When you look at our interior design, you will also see very large conference areas that can hold 20 to 30 people,” Mr. Dünhaupt said. “So if you have to travel with 50 people all the time, and have meetings in the air, maybe then it makes sense as a business aircraft.”
The sky may be the limit, but physics and aerodynamics do still apply. “It’s not possible to have a big Jacuzzi or a swimming pool on board even if you can afford this,” he said.
Private bathrooms with showers, by the way, are already standard in most big business and personal aircraft, known as V.I.P. aircraft, which start with the Boeing business jet and Airbus corporate jet. Lufthansa Technik has outfitted more than 60 V.I.P. aircraft, he said, adding: “From our experience, 95 percent have a shower.”
For those who are not flying private but still want to avoid the rest of us in the airport, there’s another option. At Frankfurt Airport, Lufthansa has an elegant private terminal for first-class passengers and members of its Hon Circle top-status frequent-flier program, which requires flying 600,000 miles every two years.
It has a restaurant, a cigar lounge, private bathrooms with showers and tubs, and a bar “with 84 different whiskeys,” said Gudrun Opper, a Lufthansa employee who showed reporters around the place.
Drop your rental car at the door. You check bags, clear customs and even board right from the private terminal, where a fleet of limousines waits to whisk you directly to the plane.
A car drives you across the apron right up to the plane, where a valet escorts you up the stairs and aboard.
“You don’t even see the airport,” said Ms. Opper, really getting my attention with that prospect.
E-mail: jsharkey@nytimes.com
