First Class travel may be an exciting experience thanks to their seven-star menu and the high-end amenities they can offer to the few who can afford the staggering cost of their ticket, but nothing can compare to the indescribable sensation of flying in private aircraft that only a very small percentage can enjoy. From the plethora of flying jewels that span the length and breadth of the globe, we bring you the best of the best – the best of its kind.
The most luxurious: Airbus ACJ320neo
At a cost of €104 million, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Airbus ACJ320neo looks like a flying penthouse at London’s infamous One Hyde Park. With the European giant having put its best foot forward in shaping this type of aircraft, the ACJ320neo has the quietest cabin, hospital-grade air filtration system and the widest and tallest cabin of any private jet. And it includes a luxurious large bedroom with king-size bed and en-suite bathroom with shower, and can accommodate 17 passengers and 251 suitcases in its 37.57m length. And the as-yet-unknown owner of the only private jet in the series can travel wherever he wants, as its flying range exceeds 11,000 kilometers.
The best off-roader: Pilatus PC-24
Only the Swiss could create a luxury plane that could land on a dangerously small snowy runway as easily as on grass. The €8.5 million Pilatus PC-24 is just what someone who is in Paris one minute and in South Africa the next, with no guaranteed paved runway, as it is only 16.8 meters long, needs. So it can access thousands of airports that other aircraft cannot use. The most frequent users of this type are the Royal Flying Doctors of the Australian region as well as researchers working in the Arctic Circle, but the private super jet is owned by former Nestle CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe. With a flight range of around 3,700 kilometers, the Pilatus PC-24 is the best and most elegant way to reach Venice, on the manicured grass strip of the elegant Aeroporto Nicelli.
The biggest: Boeing 747
The private version of perhaps the most famous large aircraft is more palace than plane. The commercial version can carry up to 660 passengers and also features the distinctive upper deck, which was a huge innovation when it first appeared in 1968. Its latest (and final) version, the 747-8i, is 76.25 meters long, has a range of 16,400 kilometres, is much more fuel efficient and its main deck resembles an ultra-luxury penthouse. The most famous non-commercial luxury 747 is undoubtedly still Air Force One, but words are superfluous when it comes to the jumbo of the Sultan of Brunei, who paid 95 million euros for his own 747-430 and then spent another 110 million euros to trim it with Lalique crystal and solid gold sinks.
The most technologically advanced: the Gulfstream G700
At 33.48 meters it includes a home cinema, restaurant, gold taps and imperial-sized beds. Gulfstream’s €70 million masterpiece boasts, among other things, its lighting system, which is specially designed to replicate the circadian cycle and thus “cure” jetlag. Thus, during the up to 14,000-kilometre flight, the body relaxes and smoothly enters the next time zone, managing to adjust before landing. The G700 also has the largest oval windows of any private plane, flooding the cabin with natural light, while the air is plasma-ionized and replaced every two minutes. And, of course, there’s high-speed Wi-Fi on board this model – after all, how could Ralph Lauren, Kim Kardashian and Oprah Winfrey (all owners of its predecessor, the G650) live without it?
The fastest: Cessna Citation X+
For a true crooner, the greatest luxury is getting to your destination faster than anyone else – and that’s the Cessna Citation X+’s point of excellence. This is the fastest private jet on the market, with a top speed slightly less than that of sound -0.935 Mach or 717 miles per hour and although Cessna recently stopped making this καλτ plane, with its distinctive raised wingtips, it remains a favorite choice for the privileged, with a strong market in the used sector. With a range of around 5,200 kilometers, the €11.5 million private aircraft enables its owner to have breakfast in New York and then return to London in time for dinner – you know what Donald Trump chooses. While it’s not as big as you might expect, at 22.43 meters long, it will fit its owner and an entourage of eight in its large leather seats.
The most environmentally friendly: Dassault Falcon 900LX
Private jets account for just 2% of all exhaust emissions from aviation, but it’s true that over the years they have become increasingly popular. So it’s to be welcomed that sustainable fuels are on the rise and private jet manufacturers are leading the move towards green innovation, with hydrogen and electric planes expected to be released soon. Until then, the greenest jet is the Dassault Falcon 900LX, which measures 20.21m in length and features three fuel-efficient Honeywell engines and is designed to be as sleek and lightweight as possible to reduce emissions, using only 260 gallons of fuel per hour, compared to the 465 of the equivalent Gulfstream G450. This also makes it one of the cheapest jets (despite its acquisition cost of 42 million euros), especially for…gas-guzzling polygamists like Taylor Swift and Max Verstappen.
