First buyer for the "Flying Palace" Airbus A380
VIP
Airbus has received
its first preliminary order from an unidentified
customer for a VIP-configured A380 ultra-large
airliner.
Details of the
arrangement are vague, but Airbus chief operating
officer for customers John Leahy told Flight's online
news service Air Transport Intelligence that he has a
letter of intent to supply a VIP version (or is it
VVIP, very very important person) of the jet. "The
problem is that when a VIP customer wants one, he
wants it tomorrow," he says. "He doesn't want to have
to wait."
Leahy will not say
whether, or when, the agreement is likely to be
confirmed and has provided no information about the
nature or location of the potential customer. Airbus
recently referred to the corporate version of the A380
as the "Flying Palace".
Meanwhile, investment
company Petters Group Worldwide (PGW) has become the
first US customer for the A318 Elite following its
order for one aircraft. Minneapolis, Minnesota-based
PGW plans to use the aircraft for corporate flights
within the USA, and to Asia and Europe.
The deal takes the
orderbook for Airbus's Corporate Jet family this year
to nine aircraft.
feb 20