more at
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...erior-pictures
Two years ago I made sure you knew that you had a rare chance to travel like an
oil-rich emir by buying Qatar's retired 747SP VVIP flying palace. Now an even
rarer opportunity has surfaced—to acquire a barely used, fully decked-out 747-8i
Boeing Business Jet that served Qatar in the same role as its stubbier
predecessor.
That's right, one of two 747-8i Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) that serve Qatar's
Amiri Flight is on the market. The aircraft, registered VQ-BSK, only came off
the assembly line in Everett in December of 2012.
It then spent a couple years being outfitted by Boeing's San Antonio service
center with its VVIP interior and features before being delivered to Qatar in
2015. It only has 436 hours on its airframe and just 200 cycles!
The interior, which is a bit more tasteful than you might have expected, is
designed for just 76 passengers and eighteen crew—that's right, an entire 747-8i
for 94 people total. A three-class layout 747-8i carries over 400.
It's equipped with an elaborate Panasonic in-flight entertainment system and a
full camera and security system by Otonomy Aviation.
The aircraft has various staterooms, lounges, boardrooms, first class seating
areas, and even its own hospital.
....A new 'green' (not outfitted for service) 747-8i costs roughly $370M but
prices can change somewhat drastically based on a number of factors that are
negotiated between Boeing and the buyer. The interior of a VVIP jet alone can
cost many millions of dollars itself, so we really don't know how much Qatar has
invested in VQ-BSK. But for the buyer who has money literally to burn in the
form of copious amounts of jet fuel and wants to personally own the same type of
jet as the one the President of United States will fly on in the not too distant
future, this may be their best shot at a bargain price.
For all you other dreamers, you can still buy Qatar's 40-year-old 747SP for a
cool $9.5M dollars—think of it as a starter jumbo jet of sorts. If you negotiate
tough you may have money left over for your own gold-plated airstair escalator!
*