Prince Alwaleed bin Talal could soon be doing business in a US-designed luxury VIP boardroom when he takes delivery of his A380 superjumbo in 2010.
Airbus announced Monday that the Saudi billionaire, the world’s 13th-richest man, had become its first private customer for the $320 million jet. The buyer’s identity had been one of the biggest mysteries in aviation for months.
Alwaleed refused to be drawn on customization plans for the ‘Flying Palace’, but Edese Doret Industrial Design unveiled images of an A380 interior (pictured) earlier this year, which it created for a ‘prospective customer.’
The company declined to comment on whether the customer was from the Middle East, however images of a VIP board/dining room showed background map monitors in Arabic script with Dubai the destination.
Edese Doret was unavailable for comment at the time of writing, but should its design fall short, Alwaleed could turn to Hamburg-based designer Lufthansa Technik, which has also designed an Airbus 380 for private clients. Its model includes king-sized beds, en-suite bathrooms, office and ‘wellness area’ along with a modern galley and buffet.
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