What billionaire boys do with their jets

Oliver Warren Larry Page and Sergey Brin may have secured a Nasa landing spot for their personal planes that is the envy of their Silicon Valley colleagues, but in the field of private jet oneupmanship their achievement is relatively modest. John Travolta, who has his own pilot’s licence and is well known as an ambassador for the Australian airline Qantas, demonstrated his enthusiasm for flying by naming his son Jett. His five planes, which include a customised Boeing 707, are within even easier reach than the Google jet – they are kept on the driveway of his house, which has a full-length runway complete with a replica 1950s airport lounge.

Even Travolta, however, is outclassed by some super-rich jet owners. Airbus revealed earlier this year that they have received an order from a private client for one of their new A380s. The plane, worth £150m, is the largest passenger aircraft in the world, capable when used commercially of carrying up to 800 economy-class passengers. Its size makes it unable to land at most airports. Various designs for private use, which would add up to £200m to the price, have been proposed, including plans for two en-suite bedrooms (one with its own hot tub), two dining rooms, an office, a library, a gym with its own sauna, and a stateroom, as well as quarters for eight crew members.

Although Airbus refused to reveal the identity of their client beyond stating that he was not European or American, Le Figaro this month reported the buyer to be Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who owns Chelsea Football Club. He has denied having placed an order for the plane. Other men regarded as possible buyers include the jetsetting Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya, who owns the manufacturers of Kingfisher beer as well as Kingfisher Airlines, which has placed an order for five of the planes for commercial use. Other rumours suggesting that it may be the head of a Middle Eastern state have focused their speculation particularly on the Sultan of Brunei, once the richest man in the world.

World leaders, of course, are known for the luxury of their air travel, but photos published earlier this year of the interior of Vladimir Putin’s presidential plane revealed a degree of opulence beyond the imaginings of most. The plane has walls lined with Russian silk, marble floors, gold hand basins, walnut cocktail cabinets and porcelain tableware. The Sultan of Brunei’s current plane also has solid gold sinks, as well as one made from Lalique crystal. For the fashion-conscious, Versace offers a bespoke interior design service for private jets.

Not all jet owners have only their personal convenience in mind. Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of Iron Maiden, also holds a pilot’s licence which he used last year to airlift 200 British evacuees from Beirut in her personal Boeing 757. In February this year he flew the Glasgow Rangers football team to a UEFA Cup match in Israel.

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