Airbus turn smallest airliner into a $100m private jet and create a flying home
Published on Oct 23, 2023 at 8:38 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Oct 25, 2023 at 4:36 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
European planemaker, Airbus, just unveiled the private jet version of its smallest airliner and it’s estimated to cost $100 million.
The hotly-anticipated Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) TwoTwenty business plane was announced Monday (23 October).
Marketed as an “Xtra Large Bizjet” it has three times more space than other large business jets.
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With a floor space of 786 square feet (73 square meters) its luxe cabin can be modded to include an office, and a master ensuite bedroom with a shower.
The cabin’s interiors can be tailored to the buyer with signature ambiances including “Timeless”, “Avant-Garde” and “Quintessence”.
Airbus partnered with Indianapolis interiors company, Comlux to outfit the planes.
The above comes complete with home comforts.
These include giant flatscreen TVs and high-tech systems including touchless window shades and high-speed WiFi.
This new launch is the private jet version of the single-aisle Airbus’ A220 commercial airliner.
Carriers including Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, and Breeze Airways.
“The ACJ TwoTwenty is set to become a game-changer in the business aviation market,” Airbus’ VP of corporate jets for North America, Sean McGeough said.
“It offers a unique combination of unmatched cabin space, intercontinental range, state-of-the-art amenities, and competitive pricing.”
However, it has a much longer range of 6,500 miles than its airliner counterpart (at 4,000 miles).
The A220 is commonly used for cross-country routes within the US.
However, flying for 12 hours is not an issue for the bizjet.
In fact, the new private jet can operate long-haul intercontinental flights from LA to London and NYC to Istanbul.
This is down to the jet’s two Pratt & Whitney GTF PW1500G engines.
Its performance rivals many large purpose-built private planes like the Gulfstream G700 and the Bombardier Global 7500.
Both aircrafts fly ultra-long-range at about 9,000 miles nonstop for Qatar Airways Executive and private charter company, VistaJet.
According to Airbus, the ACJ was designed to have a “similar parking footprint and ramp presence”.
It can also use the same airports as larger planes.
This is thanks, in part, to the cockpit’s advanced systems that make urban and challenging airports “not a problem”.
McGeough estimates the cost to operate the ACJ TwoTwenty will be two-thirds less than that of large long-range private jets.
This is down to to its maintenance infrastructure and large spare part inventory, according to Simple Flying.
Plus, the list price is expected to be competitive with rival large planes.
Buyers can expect to pay about $100 million for a finished ACJ TwoTwenty, the Business Jet Traveler reported.
This estimate is far more than the $78 million Gulfstream G700 and the $75 million Global 7500.
It debuted at the annual National Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBACE) in Las Vegas.
NBACE is an annual event for business aviation companies to showcase their aircrafts planes and related products.
The ACJ TwoTwenty’s cabin size, range, and operating costs rival that of competing business planes.
The specific aircraft displayed at the show was delivered to launch customer FIVE Hotels and Resorts in spring 2023.
The Dubai-based luxury hotel chain plans to use the VIP planes to expand its hospitality brand with even more high-class offerings.
FIVE and Airbus took the time to show off the plane’s luxe cabin for the first time this week.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
