Airbus A380 VIP 'Flying Palace' Interior Design Unveiled

Reply from: Auzerais .

Date: 09 Mar, 18:20

Airbus A380 VIP 'Flying Palace' Interior Design Unveiled
By Jennifer Coutts Clay and Brian Davidson
AirGuideOnline
* w w w .aviation . com /070309_flying_palaces.html
posted: 09 March 2007 09:24 am ET

A U.S.-based design company is nearing completion of an interior design
for a prospective customer for the VIP version of the Airbus A380
"Flying Palace" and has released an image to the public.

Airbus revealed that in February this year an unnamed customer had
signed a letter of intent to purchase a VIP A380, although the client is
yet to sign a firm order for the aircraft. The interior design, for an
office of dining room, was created by Edése Doret Industrial Design.

The Airbus A380 superjumbo is a 555-passenger, double-decker jet set to
be introduced into commercial service next year in the United States
pending FAA approval. Aviation officials predict it's just a matter of
time until it takes to the skies with all the trimmings of a private
palace.

Company president Edése Doret says that while the design is nearing
completion, it is still subject to adjustment by the client. "They will
most likely make changes prior to design freeze," Doret said.

While Doret won't comment on whether the customer is from the Middle
East, the images clearly show flat-screen moving map monitors carrying
Arabic script with Dubai as the origin of a theoretical flightpath.

For the billionaire aviation enthusiast, ownership of a customized
Airbus A380 represents treasure beyond price. And while commercial
passengers are likely never to experience the deluxe accommodations of
the privately owned Airbus A380s of the future it seems some are willing
to spread the wealth.
British billionaire Sir Richard Branson has already declared his
intention to install for the general flying public a range of products
in the Upper Class cabin on his Virgin Atlantic fleet of Airbus A380s,
including double bedrooms, bars, beauty salons and casinos.

Transporting your entourage from country X to country Y in time for the
next urgent gathering of the great and the good can be a complex
undertaking.

When they fly commercial, billionaires and their fellow travelers must
struggle through seething crowds at airport terminals and wait in long
lines for airline check-in and security processing. They sit scrunched
like human pretzels in too-small seats where flight attendants sometimes
cannot even provide a drink of water. Or they do something about it.

Eager to make their trips as hassle-free as possible, many of these
individuals have taken to flying on private jets. Typically these small
airplanes carry between six and 20 people, and check-in is handled at
the general-aviation section of an airport. Passenger boarding and
disembarkation take place on especially reserved areas of the tarmac,
and helicopter connections can usually be provided if required.

Recently, however, a new trend has emerged at the very top of the
market: the conversion for private ownership of much larger=97and more
expensive=97jets that are normally associated with commercial airlines.
These are planes like the Airbus A319 and A320; the Boeing 737, called
the 737BBJ and 757; and even the twin-aisle wide-bodies such as the 747,
767 and 777.

All have been sold to private customers, including two 767s last year to
the founders of Google.

While Edése Doret Industrial Design's interior has been created for a
specific client, Lufthansa Technik, the Germany-based provider of
technical support and maintenance for over 300 of the world's airlines
and operators, has also designed an Airbus A380 for potential private
clients that includes rooms with king-sized beds, deep pile carpeting
and en-suite bathrooms; an office with Web and e-mail access; a dining
room that can be used for entertaining guests or conducting business
meetings; and a theater.

PHOTOS
* w w w .aviation . com /070309_flying_palaces.html
   > Click to view
A photograph of the interior office or board room designed for a private
client for an AirBus A380 VIP 'Flying Palace'. Credit: Edése Doret
Industrial Design. Click to enlarge.

   > Click to view
The curvy cocktail bar boasts a super-size TV screen. Opposite, in cozy
seating alcoves alongside the windows, small groups of guests can enjoy
audio and video programs on demand, including computer games and
immediate access to a wide range of high-quality movies stored digitally
on the system's servers. Credit: Lufthansa Technik. Click to enlarge.

   > Click to view
This zone can be used for small business meetings, private dining or
relaxing. the couch in the corner, styled to resemble an opulent
ovesized ottoman, can be converted to provide sleeping accommodations if
required. Credit: Lufthansa Technik. Click to enlarge.