Brilliant Private Jets of World Leaders
Image, power, and perception are very important for leaders of countries. So do comfort and luxury. These are the perks of becoming a leader of a country. For instance, you could maintain fleets of aircraft and private jets as you please. The reason why the world is now filled with presidential aircrafts of varying worths, techs and specifications. If you have ever wondered about the sort of jets powerful heads of state cruise with? Here is an exploration of some of the brilliant private jets of world leaders:
The Ilyushin Il-96-300PU of Russia
The official presidential jet of Russia is an expensive airline. It is used by the Russian president and other officials of government. The Rossiya airlines maintains and operates the jet. The airline is said to cost around $40-50 million, not including the cost of interior decors for this highly luxurious aircraft.
It is a quad engine jet and derives its name from the Russian word for ‘command point’. The aircraft is tastefully customized with high-tech communications tools, protective features and with luxuriant interiors. It is widely reported that the cost of the airline plus the customization will run into more than hundred million dollars.
Air Force One 325M (Boeing VC25)
The Airforce one of the United State is the most famous presidential jet worldwide and it is one of the symbols of the United State’s presidency. There is a reason for the fame and the awe associated with the jet. The aircraft combines opulence, style and unlimited technological capabilities in its interior.
The aircraft, excluding the decors and the customization, is said to be worth $325 million. It is known to government officials as ‘the white house’, this is because the interior of the jet have been tacked together to make the duties of the president just as conducive as when he is on the ground. The jet boasts of a tastefully furnished presidential suite which contains two convertible-to-bed chairs, bathroom and toilet, sink and even an oval office.
Other features include a conference room, a large plasma TV for the purpose of teleconferencing, office areas with a large number of telecommunication tools. There is even a pharmacy, a table for surgical operation and a medical kit-box for emergencies. A medical team is on standby every time the president is on a trip. The jet is also known to be self-sufficient, feeding more than hundred people at a time, if need be.
Emir of Kuwait, Airbus A340-500
The official jet of the monarch of Kuwait is amongst the longest-range jet in the world. It possesses a quad engine, contains a sitting capacity of more than 400 passengers and is valued at over 300 million dollars.
The Emir of Kuwait formerly uses Boeing 747, but as a result of security concerns, he now travels with the Airbus A340-500 for official duties, the crown prince of Kuwait also uses the aircraft. Due to the significance of the jet, customization may run into more than hundreds of millions of dollars.
The King of Saudi Arabia’s Boeing 747
Dubbed ‘the flying palace’, the official jet of the Monarch of Saudi Arabia contains all the feature of a five-star hotel. The airplane was known to cost more than 200 million dollars and it was purchased by the former monarch, King Fahd.
The feature of this aircraft includes a suitable parking space for the official Rolls Royce of the king, a concern hall and an entertainment stage, a steamed room and spa, a room adorned with plasma television with glassy floors, master bedrooms, elevator and so on. These customization reportedly cost the monarch between 200-250 million dollars, increasing the valuation of this aircraft to more than 500 million dollars.
The Brazilian Air Force One
Brazil is the most powerful nation in Latin America, so no wonder the aircraft alone is valued at more than 80 million dollars. The official presidential jet is a customized Airbus A319, and it is formally known as Santos-Dumont.
The plane has three partitions. The presidential section strictly for the president, it has an office, conference and security room and a suite. The VIP section with twenty seats for governmental officials, the last section is for journalists and other passengers.
The plane is fortified with an anti-aircraft missile, radar warning receiver and a satellite communications technology. The aircraft also share classified and encrypted information with the Brazilian military headquarter. The plane has recently been upgraded to serve as an emergency command post.
The French Presidential Aircraft Airbus A330-200
The presidential aircraft of the French president is a long-range Airbus aircraft, valued at more than $150 million. The aircraft has been customized to satisfy the luxurious taste of the President of France while guaranteeing their safety. It is officially called Cotam 001.
Facilities include a conference room with a sitting capacity of sixty VIP seats, a presidential suite, internet access, a missile decoy system and an encrypted communication system.
The Chinese Government Boeing 747-400
The business of the Chinese leader’s air travel is different from other world leaders on this list, in that, the Chinese leader does not have any presidential jet or any fleet of luxurious aircraft. The Chinese leader, for every business or government visits, uses Boeing 747-400 owned by the Air China airlines. This plane is valued at $ 250 million.
It is only possible to view the interior of the president’s altered Air China Boeing 747-400s through a limited number of official photographs taken on board, in particular, those taken during the negotiations of Xi Jinping with the president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Several sources report that the interior design of the PRC’s presidential aircraft is rather austere and far from lavish or luxurious.
Why hasn’t the president of the People’s Republic gotten his own permanent aircraft? This question has already been raised by one of the predecessors of Xi Jinping, Jiang Zemin. Newly purchased airplanes, which were planned to be the analogs to the Russian and American presidential airliners, were delivered to the San Antonio airport (United States) for refitment. However, the Chinese leaders have never used them after the remodeling was completed due to security concerns.