Saudi Prince Orders First A380VIP

[Matt Molnar]

Saudi Prince Buying 'Flying Palace' Jet

Nov 12 02:59 PM US/Eastern
By BARBARA SURK and ANNA JOHNSON
Associated Press Writers

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - In the annals of excess, it could be a new high: a more than $300 million dollar, super-sized luxury airplane, bought and outfitted solely for the private comfort of a Saudi Arabian billionaire.

Once done, the Airbus A380, the world's biggest passenger plane, will be a "flying palace" for Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the manufacturer announced Monday.

Airbus SAS would not give a specific price tag for the VIP double- decker jet, with its football field-length wings, saying only that it would cost more than the aircraft's list price of $320 million. More...

[LGA777]

I wonder if the Prince realizes how many places he will "NOT" be able to take his A-380 that accomodates his 744 no problem ?

Regards

LGA777

[Nonstop2AUH]

I suspect that like fellow airliner owner Roman Abramovich, he's got aircraft of all sizes for various destinations, or can use the sort of "megayacht with tender" model where he flies the superjumbo to the nearest suitable airport and has a Falcon or something take him rest of the way.

BTW Al-Waleed is the guy who offered NYC something like $10m for 9/11 relief efforts and Giuliani turned it down because the Prince had said something like the US should consider reevaluating its foreign policy in the Middle East. Both before 9/11 and subsequently, he's invested in many US companies and supported several US charitable and cultural organizations and AFAIK no one but Rudy has ever turned down his money. In fact he's a major benefactor of Harvard, Georgetown and the Cornell-Weill Medical College and a highly valued client of Wall Street.

[Chris102]

Does he really need another plane? He already has 744, 727, 767, A340 and the Hawker 800.

[Tom_Turner]

Not every purchase is predicated on "need". I would doubt this one is, but he wants it for whatever purpose, and he's going to buy it.

Tom

[Matt Molnar]

...and a highly valued client of Wall Street.

For example, I believe he is the largest individual shareholder of Citigroup (C). :shock:

In related and totally unironic news, Saudi Arabia's oil minister rejected an Opec production increase today, which would have likely lowered the price of oil. Also today, the U.S. Energy Information Administration released a forecast of a 20 cent per gallon increase in the price of gasoline over the next 2-3 weeks.

[Chris102]

I was just reading online that one of the Saudi Royal planes has a waterfall and a prayer room that rotates to face Mecca. I can't even imagine how much it would have cost to have that constructed :shock:

[flyboy 28]

I was just reading online that one of the Saudi Royal planes has a waterfall and a prayer room that rotates to face Mecca. I can't even imagine how much it would have cost to have that constructed :shock:

Why not just turn to heading 090? :P

[adam613]

Why not just turn to heading 090? :P

Cuz that only works if you're at 21N latitude :P

[Chris102]

Regis and Kelly were talking about the plane this morning. They said he's going to have 4 kitchens, a stock trading room, a hospital, a 20 seat movie theater, and a swimming pool.

Regis suggested that Trump should get a plane with a swimming pool. :D

[bonanzabucks]

...and a highly valued client of Wall Street.

For example, I believe he is the largest individual shareholder of Citigroup (C). :shock:

He is the biggest shareholder of Citigroup. He's also the guy who kept that incompetent boob Chuck Prince as CEO for a long, long time when he should have been out ages ago. Now he wants Sandy Weill back at the helm.

This guy basically owns the company. Whatever he says goes.