Oliver Warren – TIMES ONLINE
Larry Page and Sergey Brin may have secured a Nasa landing spot for their personal planes that is the envy of their Silicon Valley colleagues, but in the field of private jet oneupmanship their achievement is relatively modest. John Travolta, who has his own pilot’s licence and is well known as an ambassador for the Australian airline Qantas, demonstrated his enthusiasm for flying by naming his son Jett. His five planes, which include a customised Boeing 707, are within even easier reach than the Google jet – they are kept on the driveway of his house, which has a full-length runway complete with a replica 1950s airport lounge.
Even Travolta, however, is outclassed by some super-rich jet owners. Airbus revealed earlier this year that they have received an order from a private client for one of their new A380s. The plane, worth £150m, is the largest passenger aircraft in the world, capable when used commercially of carrying up to 800 economy-class passengers. Its size makes it unable to land at most airports. Various designs for private use, which would add up to £200m to the price, have been proposed, including plans for two en-suite bedrooms (one with its own hot tub), two dining rooms, an office, a library, a gym with its own sauna, and a stateroom, as well as quarters for eight crew members.
Not all jet owners have their personal convenience in mind. Emergency medical transport is available from several private jet charter companies and the Corporate Angel Network is a great resource for corporate flight departments to donate empty seats on aircraft so cancer patients can catch a lift to medical appointments.
