The ultimate private jet for £245m

The super-rich are being offered a version of the world’s newest and largest airliner as a private flying mansion.

Two European companies, Germany’s Lufthansa Technik and Switzerland’s Jet Aviation, have revealed plans to convert the enormous Airbus A380 into the ultimate executive plane with private bedrooms, a cinema, and a gym fitted with saunas and Jacuzzis.

Some reports said Lufthansa Technik recently received an order for a VIP-configured A380, which made its first commercial flight this week, from Russian billionaire and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich.

Both Abramovich, who currently has a specially modified Boeing 767, and Hamburg-based Lufthansa Technik have denied the reports.

But a company spokesman said they were anticipating a firm order for the A380 from a different private customer. The plane could end up costing as much as £245m (€349m).

“There is definitely a market for an executive version of the Airbus 380,” he added.

Sales of private airliners have hit record highs, with manufacturers due to deliver more than 1,000 in 2007, and industry experts predicting sales of about $200bn (€139bn) over the next decade.

But most of those are relatively small, in the short-haul category of a Learjet, Cessna Citation or Gulfstream, and usually costing between £1 and £2m (€1.4m and €2.8m).

The largest corporate jets are usually modified versions of the Airbus 320 or Boeing 737 that sell for about £35m (€50m).

But the 560-ton A380 is in a size category of its own, dwarfing even the Boeing 747, which serves as America’s presidential Air Force One jet.

Lufthansa Technik already has drawn up a general design for a customised luxury A380 interior, although customers collaborate on specific details.

The layout provides the owner with two spacious private bedrooms on the upper deck, separated from a reception area with sofas and a wood and brass bar next to the central stairway.

The private quarters allow for maximum comfort and convenience. A master bedroom includes an office, private dining room, dressing room, a fully fitted bathroom and a gym featuring both a steam bath and exercise machines.

The entourage is accommodated in lounge-type quarters on the lower deck, also equipped with a large dining and conference area. There is a third level, the cargo area below, that can be transformed into yet another passenger space or a cinema if needed.

Lufthansa Technik is reluctant to discuss the cost. But the list price of an A380 is $320m (€222m).

Experts say customised furnishings can add $50 to $150m (€34.7m to €104m), as the degree of luxury depends entirely on the depth of the buyer’s pockets.

Basel, Switzerland-based Jet Aviation has already received four letters of intent for the yet-to-be-delivered 787 Dreamliner, Boeing’s newest jet.

“We will certainly be one of few players that can do the completions on an A380 for whoever wants to do that,” said a spokesman.