Airbus superjumbo sold to private buyer

Airbus superjumbo for private use

An unnamed buyer at the Paris air show has placed an order for an Airbus A380 superjumbo to use as a private jet.

Airbus said the individual, "not from Europe or the US", [this means it could be someone from Udon - hmm.. Val has a pilots licence ] would use the plane for "personal use for him and his entourage", AFP news agency reported.

The double-decker, which is thought to have cost $300m (ฃ150m), has 900 sq m (10,000 sq ft) in cabin space and has room for up to 840 passengers.

It is expected to take more than a year to convert the jet for private use.

Aage Duenhaupt, a spokesperson for Lufthansa Technik, which turns large commercial planes into private jets, said the majority of clients were originally Middle Eastern.

But using the model as a private jet could be problematic, because its weight and size mean it can only be landed at a limited number of airports, by certain pilots.

Environmental groups were annoyed by the news, saying that buying a superjumbo for private use was like "buying a filthy coal-fired power station just to use to charge up your mobile phone."

The model is set to come into use later in 2007.

JimboPSM wrote:Just what is needed to get to and from Udon now Nok Plus is apparently being discontinued.

From BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6768237.stm

Airbus superjumbo for private use

An unnamed buyer at the Paris air show has placed an order for an Airbus A380 superjumbo to use as a private jet.

Airbus said the individual, "not from Europe or the US", IT COULD BE Mr Thaksin,Hmmm !!! [this means it could be someone from Udon - hmm.. Val has a pilots licence ] would use the plane for "personal use for him and his entourage", AFP news agency reported.

The double-decker, which is thought to have cost $300m (ฃ150m), has 900 sq m (10,000 sq ft) in cabin space and has room for up to 840 passengers.

It is expected to take more than a year to convert the jet for private use.

Aage Duenhaupt, a spokesperson for Lufthansa Technik, which turns large commercial planes into private jets, said the majority of clients were originally Middle Eastern.

But using the model as a private jet could be problematic, because its weight and size mean it can only be landed at a limited number of airports, by certain pilots.

Environmental groups were annoyed by the news, saying that buying a superjumbo for private use was like "buying a filthy coal-fired power station just to use to charge up your mobile phone."

The model is set to come into use later in 2007.