Millions of pounds spent by billionaires on customised jumbo jets

While there are many private jets available on the market for the rich to fly around in, such as the Gulfstream G650 costing around $65 million, sometimes this just isn’t enough. This is true for example, if you want to fly around the world with perhaps a dozen or so friends or colleagues. So what can one do about it? Well you could buy a customised jet from such as Boeing or Airbus and have it tailored to your needs and this is exactly what billionaires are doing, spending millions on customised jumbo jets.

[Image Source: Boeing]

It seems that for a price, both Airbus and Boeing are quite happy to customise jets, the wide bodied ones included which are normally designed for carrying hundreds of people.

[Image Source: Boeing]

Makers of commercial jets are willing to replace the rows of what are classed as economy seating in the aircraft and in their place, such luxuries as sofas and entertainment centres are fitted. Recently, influxes of billionaires coming from the Middle East, Russia and China have meant that this business is required more and more. In 1977, Airbus opened up their private jet branch and in total they have sold more than 170 aircraft. Boeing on the other hand began in 1996 and they have delivered over 195 of the 217 orders that they have received.

[Image Source: Boeing]

Of course Airbus and Boeing are not the only two contenders in the jet market, so why are they so popular over Bombardier or Gulfstream? A study by Airbus gives us this answer. Wealthy people do in fact like to take members of their family, friends or business associates with them. More so when talking about oil magnets from the Middle East, so it seems. Often the more luxurious the better is the motto for billionaires and generally bigger is always better. So this is the main reason why billionaires choose a Boeing 747 or the Airbus A380 over the smaller Gulfstream.

[Image Source: Boeing]

Airbus doesn’t just offer planes for personal use, instead they are willing to remodel and offer the customer exactly what they want with a wide variety of customisation. The total cost of remodelling a jumbo jet is unknown as neither Boeing nor Airbus advertises the cost of the rebuilds of the planes. However it is not unusual for the figures for customised personal remodelled aircraft to come in around the $80 million mark if you want your own Boeing 737, around $280 million or so for the Boeing 747-8 and as much as a whopping $300 million should you go for the A380.

[Image Source: Boeing]

Of course for this amount of money the new owners get just what they want and they can fit their whole family along with friends in the jet at the same time, with room to spare. They also travel in comfort and style that they would not be able to get from just owning any private jet.

[Image Source: Boeing]

[Image Source: Boeing]

[Image Source: Boeing]

[Image Source: Boeing]