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I have long wanted to go to the annual Jet Expo air show in Vnukovo, where advanced models of business jets are exhibited. Finally, the stars have aligned. The business trip to Moscow coincided with the exhibition. I charged the camera battery and went to see the private jets on which the richest people in the world fly.
01. We will start the tour with the luxurious Airbus corporate jets 319 (ACJ), the interior of which is so cool that other business jets seem like toys in comparison.
02. The layout is typical for business jets. Wide armchairs, tables, sofas. With aircraft design, everything happens as follows. A client comes to an aircraft manufacturing company with a lot of money. The seller offers several dozen interior layout options. And then the “wishlist” of a person who is ready to pay up to 100 million dollars for an airliner comes into play. He wants the carpet to be green, not gray. He asks to make the shower more spacious, to hang a special plasma panel in the salon, etc. Therefore, the “insides” of the aircraft may change depending on the customer’s ideas.
03. The carpet was covered with a protective film so that the girls would not accidentally damage it with sharp hairpins. P - forethought :-)
04. At the air show I was accompanied by wonderful representatives of the Business Aviation Club. According to them, business jets like the ACJ319 are often chosen by ministers and important statesmen. Due to endless flights, the “airplane - hotel room” format is suitable for them, in which they can relax. ACJ is also in demand among Arab sheikhs (they vulgarize it with gold trim) and Russian oligarchs. Airbus aircraft are owned by Dmitry Rybolovlev, Mikhail Prokhorov, Alisher Usmanov and others.
05. Cons of ACJ: price around 75 million dollars and high cost per flight hour (average 21 thousand dollars). Pros: reliability, comfort and a large selection of pilots. And yes, where else can you put a corner sofa at home? ;-)
06. We get to the most interesting part of the plane - the bedroom with a soft double bed and a TV. Not a jet, but real apartments. Isn't it a dream? Board a late flight and arrive rested and well-slept.
07. Next to the bedroom there is a spacious bathroom with a washbasin and shower:
08. The ACJ manager answered my questions (even the most tricky ones) politely and without pathos. Although it was clear that I was not a buyer, but an ordinary fan of business aviation.
09. Let's move on to the ACJ's main competitor - Boeing business jets. The brand is also popular among Russian elites. Roman Abramovich, Vladimir Yevtushenkov (AFK Sistema) and Rustam Tariko (Russian Standard) fly the aircraft of the line. Unfortunately, security did not allow photography on board.
10. Russian aviation was presented at the exhibition with the Sukhoi SuperJet 100 in a VIP version, commissioned by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. It can carry 19 passengers.
11. The salon fully meets the requirements of the time. Beautiful decoration, soft chairs, nice colors. It is clear that the aircraft is inferior in size to competitors from Airbus and Boeing. But compared to standard business jets, the airliner looks like a real giant.
12. Negotiation zone:
13. The engineers made a spacious bathroom, but forgot about the shower. How so?
14. Among long-range business jets, two top models stand out: Gulfstream G650ER and Falcon 7X. The first is called the Rolls-Royce of airplanes, the second is compared to Ferrari. Both airliners are flagships in their segment, but for some reason I intuitively always preferred the Gulf Stream and wanted to study it from the inside.
15. Stylish colors, soft curves of the wings, not an airplane, but a fairy tale. My mother’s father was involved in aviation, apparently the love for mechanical “birds” was passed on to me at the genetic level...
16. A barrier post with a closed rope means one thing: negotiations with a potential client have begun on board. Once again so you understand. Right now there is a man sitting in the salon who has approximately 4.5 billion rubles to buy this beauty:
17. Leaflet with the Gulfstream model range. The smallest of them is the miniature G150, the largest is the G650ER. The prefix ER, by the way, means increased flight range. On such a plane you can easily fly from Moscow to Sydney.
18. At the entrance to the salon there is an additional (guest) bathroom. A very convenient solution considering long-distance flights.
19. Among the famous Russian fans of Gulfstream is Gennady Timchenko (Novatek). The oligarch owns the G650, which is capable of carrying 18 passengers at a time over a maximum distance of 12,964 km.
20. Unlike its Falcon competitor, Gulfstream has two engines rather than three. This means that servicing the aircraft will cost the owner 15 thousand euros less per month. But who cares? :-)
21. Windows that resemble a giant egg are one of the features of Gulfstream aircraft. They have the fastest business jets, with the most spacious cabins and high ceilings.
22. In the bathroom there is access to the luggage compartment:
23. If you enter the geo-tag “Vnukovo 3 VIP” on Instagram, you can find a bunch of similar photos. In them, brutal, respectable men sit in expensive armchairs and look out the porthole with languid eyes. I understand them. The thought that you are in a “toy” that you will most likely never be able to buy hurts the male ego. Look at Russian owners of luxury business jets. Most of them are either corrupt officials or people who made capital from privatization in the early 90s. It is very difficult for new wave businessmen to earn such huge money.
24. All on-board systems are adapted for Russian-speaking clients. Well, almost :-)
25. It is rational to use Gulfstream exclusively for long-distance flights. Flying it, for example, from Moscow to Chelyabinsk and back would be stupid. Maintenance and flight hours are too expensive. However, people who have hundreds of millions of dollars in their bank accounts can easily afford such whims.
26. A handsome Dassault Falcon 7X, like that of businessman Oleg Tinkov. The barrier post left no chance of passage, and there was no time to wait for the negotiations to be completed:
27. The exhibition was not limited to giant business jets. It also presented more modest models, which are very popular in Europe.
28. Among them, the stylish and cozy Phenom 300 stood out:
29. Phenom was not the most popular “lot” at the air show, but its crew turned out to be very friendly. The pilots “drove” the business jet from London to Moscow. According to them, the presented aircraft is distinguished by good avionics and increased comfort. During the exhibition they managed to sell several aircraft to Russian customers.
30. Phenom is often ordered by European businessmen and pop stars who fly short distances. For example, from Barcelona to Mallorca.
31. Cockpit. I was offered to sit at the helm, but I politely refused:
32. Moderately spacious luggage compartment:
33. A nice jet from Honda, which was first presented in Moscow. Interestingly, the aircraft's engines are attached not to the body, but to the wings. The bird flies a distance of 2200 km and costs 4.5 million dollars:
34. Stylish turboprop aircraft for short flights:
35. There was not enough time for helicopter flights. I left getting to know him for next time.
Regular readers know about my love for business jets. I think they give a feeling of freedom. You don't have to languish in the waiting room. You receive permission to take off and go anywhere on earth. I hope that one day I will be able to afford my own private jet, albeit a small one.
Sincerely yours,
How Russian businessmen move their bodies around the world.
Rich Russians, about whom Russian Forbes often writes, are people with quirks, and they have money for these quirks. We have already written about what houses domestic billionaires live in and what yachts they use to travel across the seas and oceans. It's time to take a closer look at another almost obligatory attribute of the oligarchs' image - their own planes.
Classifying a private jet as a fad, however, is not always the right decision. Sometimes you need your own airliner simply because “time is more valuable than money.” In addition, often a personal jet is not the property of an individual - it may be leased or owned by a corporation that provides it to the business owner.
The fleet of Russian billionaires has a wide variety of aircraft - from the Yak-142 to the Boeing 767-300 and army helicopters. Capacious long-haul Boeing and Airbus aircraft are used for long-haul flights. However, they are extremely expensive to maintain, which is why the smaller Falcon, Gulfstream and Bombardier are more popular among billionaires. In total, according to some data, there are about 500 private VIP aircraft in the Russian Federation.
According to VIP passengers themselves, what they primarily need from airplanes is safety, reliability, speed and a certain level of comfort. Oligarchs understand the purposes for which they need airplanes, and equip them to suit existing tasks and their tastes, which is why the interiors of airships often reflect the individuality of their owners. Some rich people decorate an airplane in hi-tech style, some love golden oriental luxury and expensive carpets, some set up an art gallery from originals or a library. In addition, there are originals in which the inside of the plane looks like a hut or a restaurant.
There are also adherents of a healthy lifestyle who set up an on-plane gym with treadmills and exercise bikes. However, there are restrictions in finishing - for example, it is forbidden to install billiard tables, heavy bathtubs, or use fire hazardous and bulky materials (for example, marble). In general, it usually takes one to two years and up to $20 million to customize an aircraft cabin in Switzerland. The maintenance of a castle in the air costs 3-5% of its cost per year and depends on the country of registration.
Who, how and with whom flies
The private aircraft fleet is divided into a fleet of large airliners, which depart only with permission from air traffic control services, and small aircraft, which depart only with notification. All of them can be either private or corporate property. There are also leased business aircraft used by businessmen and officials - however, officials more often use scheduled aircraft. Flights on rented planes are not cheap: the average bill is a million rubles or more. There is also a price tag for the most frequently booked routes: for example, prices for renting a four-seater plane from Moscow round trip to Courchevel range from 40 thousand euros, to the Maldives - from 80 thousand euros, to Nice and Paris - from 30 thousand. Euro. It is clear that all these services are not for the poor.
It is significant that almost all business flight equipment, both private and corporate, are usually registered in offshore companies and do not pay Russian taxes, although they are based in the Russian Federation.
The cost of servicing private jets, including the flights themselves, can range from 100 thousand dollars to several million per year. Standard for calculations: four pilots, one engineer, two or three flight attendants and one manager. Speaking of personnel: the monthly salaries of pilots in business aviation are 12-15 thousand dollars, flight attendants - 2.5-5 thousand, but this money is given to them with hard work: a flight attendant must speak a foreign language, basic psychology, medical skills, understand in the wines and cuisines of various nations, and at the same time in the detergents with which the salon is maintained. Ordering food on board (the Pushkin restaurant on Tverskoy Boulevard is popular) and maintaining order and cleanliness on the planes is also the responsibility of the flight attendant. High loads on the body often lead to occupational diseases of flight attendants: forgetfulness due to oxygen starvation, infertility, cancer, varicose veins, etc. That's it - either health or money. By the way, for this money they also require IQ, and the appearance, of course, must be attractive so that it looks adequate against the backdrop of an expensive aircraft.
Oligarchs privatize airports
Vnukovo-3 on the territory of Vnukovo is the largest business airport in Europe. On average, 35-40 thousand private flights are operated from here per year, which is 90% of all Russian business flights. The complex for servicing business class aircraft and VIP passengers is under 24-hour strict security. Departures and arrivals of VIP aircraft are not announced and are not listed on schedules, and VIP passengers arrive and depart through special terminals where no one can see them. Based on the number of flights in a certain direction, you can form an opinion about what is happening in the business community. For example, compared to 2014, in 2016, flights to France decreased by 30%, and the number of flights to Ukraine fell to almost zero. But the number of flights to Malta increased from 39 to 120. Curious, what would this be for?
Vnukov-3 has one more feature. It is this port that is used by those who need to leave the country as quickly as possible. It was from here that Antalbank President Magomed Mukhiev, suspected of embezzling 30 billion rubles, wanted to fly off on a charter plane not long ago. It seems that this is where the banker Borodin, accused of embezzling 62 billion rubles from the Bank of Moscow, started from here, as well as a number of other gentlemen who were ahead of the prosecutor’s office. Ex-Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov flew away from here, loading the plane with antiques, paintings and even beehives. From the same airport, rich people fly abroad to see doctors and cosmetologists.
BY THE WAY
In 2013, Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on the state’s withdrawal from ownership of Vnukovo airport. One of the main advantages of this port is its high profitability. At one time, Moscow really wanted to get the port, but it didn’t work out. However, the capital has invested a decent amount of money in it, and in recent years the state budget has invested a lot in Vnukovo-3.
Airports are strategic objects, which is why they are usually state-owned. However, the Medvedev government does not think so, purposefully transferring the largest airports under oligarchic control. Groups of airports for Viktor Vekselberg and Oleg Deripaska have already been formed.
Thus, the state is deprived of income from airports and refuses a strategic resource in favor of the oligarchs. Forbes, regarding the privatization of Vnukovo, reported that private shareholders will own a controlling stake, consolidated by Vnukovo International Airport OJSC (75%), in which Skoch, co-owner of Usmanov's USM holdings, will have 81%. Private owners will have an option to buy out the remaining 25-30% of the state's shares. Vnukovo may later become part of Alisher Usmanov’s USM Holdings. The scheme is simple: in return for investing relatively small funds, the oligarchs will receive a huge piece of state property. This is not only an airport, but also a railway access, a road, the surrounding infrastructure, and land in the directions where the Russian business elite mainly lives: Rublevskoye, Mozhaiskoye and Novorizhskoye highways. Why not continue the loans-for-shares auctions?
Favorite planes of oligarchs:
1. Airbus A340-300.
Owner - Alisher Usmanov
Cost: $350 million.
Alisher Usmanov has several aircraft, but the Airbus A340-300 is the largest of them. $112 million was spent on its retrofitting. The plane has four engines, its flight range is 13,500 kilometers. There are no more than 30 such aircraft in the world. The airliner is named after the oligarch’s father “Burkhan” (the oligarch’s yacht is named after his mother). The tail number M-IABU in the “translation” apparently stands for “Isle of Man, I-A.B. Usmanov."
2. Boeing 767-300ER.
Owner - Roman Abramovich
Cost: $191 million.
It is known that the plane is registered in the offshore Aruba (Caribbean, Netherlands). The flight range of this Boeing is 11 thousand kilometers. Aircraft capacity -
245 passengers. The plane is sometimes called a “bandit” for its characteristic black “glasses” near the cockpit and a dark stripe along the plane. In addition to Boeing, Abramovich has other personal planes.
3. Airbus A319 M-RBUS.
Owner - Mikhail Prokhorov
This is a large 6 year old ship with a dynamic livery and the call sign Silver Arrows. The length of the plane on which the politician and billionaire prefers to fly is 33.8 meters, the wingspan is 35.8 meters. The cabin can accommodate up to 156 passengers. The catalog value is $88.6 million. However, the interior of the liner was most likely specially redesigned to suit the needs of the owner.
4. Airbus A319-133.
Owner - Dmitry Rybolovlev
Cost: $86 million.
The liner has the tail number M-KATE in honor of the oligarch’s daughter Ekaterina. A standard aircraft can accommodate up to 156 passengers, a business modification can carry up to 19 people, and the flight range is up to 12 thousand kilometers. Dmitry Rybolovlev was one of the first to become involved in securities and their purchase. He is interested in collecting impressionist works and lives in Monaco. The basis of his fortune is the funds received from the sale of Uralkali.
5. Airbus A319-115 CJ.
Owner - Andrey Skoch
Cost: $50 million.
Through his father, who is in his ninth decade and to whom the business has been transferred, Andrei Skoch participates in the company USM Holdings, the main owner of which is Alisher Usmanov. Skoch also owns a significant stake in Vnukovo Airport. USM Holdings unites metallurgical, telecommunications and Internet assets of partners.
6. Gulfstream
Owner - Vladimir Potanin
Cost: $33 million.
The plane is designed for 19 passengers. Its flight altitude is 15 kilometers, flight range is 12.5 thousand kilometers, speed is 850 kilometers per hour. Potanin worked in the structures of the Ministry of Foreign Trade of the USSR, created the foreign economic association "Interros", sold natural resources, created ONEXIM Bank (probably using money from the CPSU), gave birth to the idea of loans-for-shares auctions and through them received the Sidanko oil company with small borrowed money, Novorossiysk Shipping Company and Norilsk Nickel. Capital was earned from Norilsk Nickel, Rosbank and from the purchase and resale of assets.
7. Bombardier BD-700 Global Express. Owner - Viktor Vekselberg
Cost: $23 million.
Vekselberg is the founder of the Russian-American joint venture Renova and the aluminum holding SUAL. His fortune is estimated at $12.4 billion. Viktor Vekselberg made large earnings after purchasing generating capacities (IES Holding) and inflating the tariffs for the services provided and actively working with the Skolkovo Information Center, very generously financed by the Ministry of Finance. According to Ruspres, if the Investigative Committee is actively involved in the IC, then V.F. You may really need a plane urgently. However, Viktor Vekselberg is a member of many public organizations and enjoys the support of the board of trustees of the Skolkovo Foundation, which includes Dmitry Medvedev, Vladislav Surkov and Arkady Dvorkovich, so they apparently trust him.
8. Boeing 737-7BJ/W BBJ.
Owner - Suleiman Kerimov
Cost: $50 million.
The model is designed for 19 passengers, the flight range is 9,300 kilometers at a speed of 850 kilometers per hour. Kerimov also has a Gulfstream G-V for 35 million. The Kerimov family owns 61% of the shares of the Polyus company (formerly Polyus Gold), the largest gold producer in the Russian Federation, as well as the Makhachkala International Airport. In addition, Kerimov owns the Nafta Moscow company. In 2015, Kerimov sold the Moscow Hotel. He made his fortune by investing in growth stocks. Since 2008 - member of the Federation Council from Dagestan.
9. Boeing 737-7BJ/W BBJ.
Owner - Rustam Tariko
The owner of the Russian Standard bank and vodka brand, Rustam Tariko, has the same jet. Now Tariko's company "Rust" has an increase in sales of vodka, but the Russian Standard Bank, according to Utronews, is shaky. The bank owes about 70 billion rubles, the reason is debts on loans provided in foreign currency. Tariko has already sold his favorite yacht, but is holding on to the plane for now in case he needs it again.
Traveling by plane has already become familiar to many people. Often people use an airplane to travel to the place where they are going to spend their vacation, or, on the contrary, fly on airplanes to resolve some business issues. In this top 10 most expensive passenger aircraft, we will tell you about the ten most luxurious and expensive aircraft of this type.
10 Boeing 747– 8 VIPThe purchase of such an aircraft cost its owner $153 million. And now the cost of this aircraft is estimated at $200 million. This aircraft is also called the “Dreamliner.” This aircraft is considered one of the largest and longest on the planet. A regular Boeing 747 can accommodate 467 people, but a Boeing 747-8 VIP probably won’t be able to carry that many people. The Boeing 747-8 VIP boasts incredibly comfortable flight conditions, exclusive chic design, and the latest technologies. Vaulted ceilings, a spiral staircase, video displays on the walls - passengers are surrounded by a luxurious interior during the flight.
9 Boeing 747
This aircraft was purchased in 2002. The king who bought this plane paid a truly “royal” amount of money for it: $170 million.
8 Boeing 747-400 Custom
The Boeing 747-400 aircraft model, made to order and called the Boeing 747-400 Custom, has a cost of $200 million. This aircraft was purchased in 2003, after which the following rooms were equipped in the cabin: a dining room on 14 people and two bedrooms with luxurious interiors. In the middle of the Boeing 747-400 Custom there is a throne, reminiscent of the fact that this aircraft was created by order of a prince. Passengers of this aircraft are served by 11 flight attendants.
7 Boeing 747-430 Custom
This plane was purchased by the Sultan for $100 million, after which the Boeing 747-430 Custom acquired a luxurious interior, and its cost reached $233 million. The bedrooms, living room and bathroom in this plane are decorated with gold details and Lalique crystals . The washbasin is made of pure gold.
6 Airbus 340-300
This aircraft was created in Switzerland in 2008. The registration of this aircraft was carried out on the Isle of Man. The Airbus 340-300 was sold for $350 million.
5 Boeing 747-200B
The cost of this aircraft is $375 million. The Boeing 747-200B is one of the largest aircraft on the planet. The interior of this aircraft is elegant and luxurious. This aircraft is equipped with the latest technical characteristics.
4 Airbus A340-300 Custom
The cost of the Airbus A340-300 Custom is $500 million. This aircraft was made to order. Typically, an Airbus A340-300 Custom model aircraft costs about $253 million. However, the aircraft described was modernized and custom-made, and therefore has a higher cost. The Airbus A340-300 Custom can accommodate approximately 400 passengers.
3 Boeing 767
The cost of this aircraft is $500 million. Materials such as mahogany and ebony were used in the interior design of the Boeing 767. Luxury in the interior is emphasized by objects created from pure gold of the highest standard.
2 Airbus A380
In order to own such an aircraft, the prince who bought it had to pay $500 million. This aircraft is one of the largest passenger aircraft in the world. The Airbus A380 is approximately 25 meters high and over 72 meters long. Many passenger seats have been removed to make way for luxury accommodations. There are many rooms on two decks of the Airbus A380: several bedrooms, 20 guest cabins, bathrooms with showers. For in-flight relaxation, there is a spa area, hydromassage and sauna. But for entertainment on board the Airbus A380, the following rooms are equipped: a concert hall, a bar, a dance floor. This aircraft has a gym and a wellness center. This aircraft houses a garage that can accommodate two cars. The Airbus A380 is equipped with a stable and a room in which hawks can travel.
1 Boeing 747-430
To purchase this plane, the Sultan who bought it had to pay $1 billion. The Boeing 747-430 has a luxurious interior. The interior design is made in oriental style. In this plane you can see handmade carpets. The plumbing fixtures in the Boeing 747-430 are made of pure gold.
The above aircraft allow their owners to travel more conveniently and cover long distances in comfortable conditions. And the luxurious interiors delight the owners of such aircraft during long trips.
The most expensive luxury items: villas, yachts, cars, phones made of platinum and diamonds are no longer so relevant for the richest people on the planet. The latest fashion trend for billionaires is a private jet, equipped with the best designers in the world.
It is the acquisition of a personal supersonic aircraft that today is the main criterion that distinguishes a truly rich and influential person from a simply wealthy one. After all, who deserves personal airliners? That's right: the presidents and top officials of the state: Barack Obama (USA) and Vladimir Putin (Russia), Nursultan Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan) and Ilham Aliyev (Azerbaijan), Islam Karimov (Uzbekistan) and Elizabeth II (Great Britain), not to mention the prime minister ministers of Israel, Canada, Italy, etc.
Agree, being somewhat similar to these people is not the worst thing to imitate, especially when your airliner is no worse, and in some ways even better, than those of “official government officials.”
What brands of aircraft do modern Russian billionaires and multimillionaires choose, and which of them wins the battle for the most prestigious aircraft? - analyzed the analysts of the "Russian News" section of the "Stock Leader" magazine.
Following the billionaires, whose names have not left the Forbes magazine ranking of the richest people in the world for several years, who have long felt the comfort of traveling by frequent planes, their “colleagues” billionaires from Russia hastened to take advantage of business jets.
According to the organizers of the JetExpo exhibition, today 158 jet business aircraft are registered in Russia, and by 2020 in Russia and the CIS countries this number will increase to 525 units.
The most expensive private jet belongs to the former governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, now the owner of the Chelsea football club and simply billionaire Roman Abramovich. Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), made in the USA, depending on the configuration and trim of the cabin, costs from 47 to 310 million dollars and accommodates 62 passengers. The aircraft's cruising speed is 850 km/h, practical range is 10,220 - 11,270 kilometers, depending on the number of passengers. This is not the only aircraft Abramovich travels on. Another pride of its fleet is the Boeing BBJ767, which costs a little less - only 180 million US dollars (speed 860 km/h, range - 5,990 kilometers).
The richest man in Russia in 2012 according to Bloomberg, the owner of a 20 billion dollar fortune, Alisher Usmanov, does not lag behind his “colleague”. It has an Airbus ACJ340 (manufactured in France), costing 300 million dollars (cabin capacity - 75 people, speed - 881 km/h, range - 14,300 kilometers) and an Airbus ACJ319 ($80 million), which accelerates to a speed of 895 km/h and has a practical range of 11,650 kilometers.
Russia's "aluminum king" Oleg Deripaska has more modest demands. He preferred the Gulfstream V aircraft, manufactured in the USA. The cost of the aircraft is 35 million US dollars (cruising speed 850 km/h, flight range 12.5 thousand kilometers).
President of the private investment fund ONEXIM Group, politician and billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov chose the Embraer Legacy 600 aircraft, manufactured in Brazil, for travel and business trips. The luxury item costs $27 million and can take up to 19 people on board; its speed is 834 km/h, practical range, depending on the number of passengers, is from 2,610 to 5,926 kilometers. Also in the fleet of the newly minted politician is a Dassault Falcon 2000 worth 25 million US dollars (speed - 880-911 km/h, range - 5,778).
President and co-owner of the largest oil company LUKoil Vagit Alekperov travels on a private Bombardier Challenger 605 jet (manufactured in Canada). The vessel can accommodate 12 people and costs US$25 million. cruising speed - 850 km/h, practical range - 7,491 kilometers.
What's "over the hill"? Rich and famous, billionaires from all over the world Bill Gates, Mukesh Ambani, top show business stars like the legendary Madonna; the director of the acclaimed "Lord of the Rings" Peter Jackson or director Steven Spielberg have long understood that expensive "toys" in the form of a personal plane are not only an integral attribute of a beautiful life, but also an incredibly comfortable means of transportation.Often, the richest people on the planet emphasize their status with the help of a pompous interior of luxury items, and in addition to the leather seats and double beds usual for private luxury jets, things appear in the cabins of aircraft that are several times higher than the cost of the vehicle itself. So:
- Donald Trump is the proud owner of a Boeing 727-23, purchased for $100 million. The interior of the aircraft cabin cost the owner much more, because it is designed in a decadent style with gold-plated seat belt buckles and crystal chandeliers. The bathroom is decorated with porcelain and precious stones.
- The Sultan of Brunei, purchased a Boeing 747-430 for 100 million dollars, and spent... 120 million on decorating and gilding the interior. The furniture in the aircraft cabin is made of the finest blue leather.
- expensive “toys” are not only the prerogative of men. The private Boeing 737 BBJ of the owner of the Israeli bank Hapoalim, Sherry Arison, has a bedroom, a children's room, and a conference room with plasma TVs and high-speed Internet.
An airplane is not a luxury, but a means of transportation,” Evgeniy Olkhovsky, a well-known Canadian expert at the Masterforex-V Academy, explained in an interview with Exchange Leader, paraphrasing a joke about a car known from Soviet times. If a person has a large corporation with branches in different parts of the world, he and his immediate circle need to have an airplane in which he could more safely continue his work in the air, without being dependent on commercial flights.
Of course, this is also prestige. And the fact that some private airliners have become works of art is a personal matter of taste and the size of the bank deposit of their owners and proprietors. In any case, owning an airplane is an expensive and costly thing.
Of course, it is not at all the one that operates regular or charter flights to transport tourists. Only a private jet owned by a very wealthy person can be luxurious and extremely comfortable.
Everyone, at least once in their life, has thought about how nice it would be to have their own air transport. Unfortunately, this pleasure is not cheap. But there are still lucky people in the world whose property is discussed and worthy of the status of the most expensive liner.
What makes up the cost of a luxury private jet in the world?
The price of personal transport can skyrocket thanks to the unique interior trim on board. This could be gilded ceilings or floors, marble plumbing, accessories made of real wood and any other whims of wealthy lovers of traveling with a feeling of real comfort.
1st place - Airbus-A380 of the Arab Sheikh
In 2012, the owner of the most luxurious airliner, Airbus-A380, became an oligarch from Saudi Arabia, Al Waleed bin Talal. Initially, the cost of the transport was $300 million, but after the best designers worked on it, fulfilling all the sheikh’s requirements for interior design, the price of the aircraft increased by another $200 million.
The price of one of the most expensive aircraft today is at least $500 million. There are no analogues in the world of this “flying kingdom” of non-standard huge sizes.
On board the aircraft there are:
- Several bedrooms;
- Gym;
- SPA salon;
- Turkish baths and marble font;
- Car garage at the tail of the plane;
- Dining room for up to 14 people;
- Meeting room;
- 20 guest rooms at the level of the best 5* hotels;
- The royal throne installed in the very center of the aircraft;
- Prayer room;
- Large screens are installed that display the terrain that the plane is flying over at the moment.
The crew size is 15 people. The liner can accommodate up to 850 guests of the Arabian prince. The only thing that is not thought through when purchasing the largest aircraft is the impossibility of landing at every airport. Only specially equipped runways can accommodate the “heavenly giant” on their territory.
2nd place - Boeing 767 Roman Abramovich
The cost, estimated at no less than $500 million, allowed Roman Abramovich's airliner to take an honorable second place on the podium among the most expensive aircraft in the world.
After purchase, the cabin of the Boeing 767 was completely redone using ebony and mahogany textures in the interior design, as well as the use of gold of the highest standard. The most special element of the famous oligarch’s Boeing is the presence of an anti-missile system on board.
People nicknamed Abramovich's plane "Bandit" because of the original design on its hull.
The Boeing cabin is designed to accommodate up to 300 people at a time. In one part of the aircraft there is an area with a dining table for 30 people.
3rd place - Airbus A340-300 of Alisher Usmanov
One of the most expensive aircraft is the Airbus A340-300 airliner owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. Initially, the liner was purchased for $238 million, but after some manipulations its value is estimated at $350 million.
The largest private plane in Russia is named "Burkhan" in honor of the oligarch's father. On the outside of the aircraft you can see the inscription “Bourkhan”. The painting makes transport unique not only in Russia, but also in the world.
A. Usmanov does not own a single aircraft, but he calls the Burkhan his favorite transport. It is on it that the billionaire makes transcontinental flights.
4th place - Boeing 747-430 of the Sultan of Brunei
How much do you think the most expensive private jet, ranked 4th, costs? The amount is not overwhelming, but very significant - about 250 million dollars! The owner of this “heavenly miracle” is the Sultan of Brunei - Hassanal Bolkiah.
There are, of course, many airliners in the world more expensive than the Boeing 747-430, but there is no other aircraft on board like this, decorated in the style of flashy luxury. An oriental note is felt in every detail of the interior: handmade carpets are located everywhere, and the plumbing fixtures are made of pure gold. Crystal trim is found in some areas of the aircraft.
Initially, the aircraft was purchased for $100 million and thanks to complete modernization, Boeing reached the podium.
5th place - Donald Trump's Boeing 757
Fifth place is occupied by the Boeing 757, worth $100 million, owned by American billionaire Donald Trump. This is the most recognizable aircraft. On board the liner is the name of its owner in large letters.
The Boeing became an expensive aircraft after it was completely redesigned. At the request of D. Trump, the salon was equipped with a spacious bedroom with the image of the family coat of arms, a study with a 52-inch plasma panel and a home theater.
What makes Trump's aircraft unique in the world are the gold-plated seat belt buckles and the gold plating on the bathroom toilets and sinks.
Made in history...
The cost of the American-made B-2 Spirit bomber is estimated at $2.2 billion. This is a classic representative of military equipment, the development and production of which costs enormous money. B-2 Spirit is a real "stealth aircraft".
Thanks to the "stealth" function, it becomes completely invisible to any reconnaissance. The production of expensive military aircraft was suspended. There are about 21 of them in the world.
Concord - not living up to expectationsThe supersonic Concorde was designed to carry passengers. Thanks to special technologies, it delivered people from point A to point B many times faster. Scientists stated that Concorde was a confident step for humanity towards a bright future. In the 80s, most tourists preferred traveling by plane at a low cost. At that time, only businessmen could afford to fly on Concorde, for whom the speed of the flight played a decisive role.
The price of tickets due to rising fuel prices was too high, which is why the flow of passengers flying on Concorde was increasingly reduced. Servicing the fastest aircraft in the world became unprofitable and flights on Concorde were suspended. In today's terms, the cost of producing one Concorde would be $150 million.