Air force SIX
Air Force One might be the most famous aircraft to cart around a world leader but it is by no means the only one. The Queen, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel all boast their own plane to use for official visits – but wh
TAMIM BIN HAMAD AL THANI’S FLEET
Cost: $2B One of the wealthiest people on the planet, the Emir of Qatar has a host of aircraft at his disposal, including two Airbus A320s, two A330s and two Boeing 747-8s, required to transport his entourage of as many as 1,000 people on his official engagements. He once arrived in Japan to meet the prime minister with 10 aircraft. A state-owned VIP airline, Qatar Amiri Flight, is used to fly his family members, head of the government, and high level officials.
DONALD TRUMP’S AIR FORCE ONE
Cost: $1.32B Trump’s presidential plane is a heavily modified Boeing 747-200B. There are two identical planes referred to as one with the military designation VC-25A. If an airport is not capable of handling the 747, the president uses a smaller Boeing C-32. The VC-25A is kitted out with a full and secure communications centre, a medical suite, and separate cabin for travelling journalists. It also has a gym, offices and an ensuite bedroom. The 747s, whose interiors were designed by Ronald Reagan’s wife Nancy, in a southwestern style, have also been modified to allow mid-air refuelling.
VLADIMIR PUTIN’S IL-96-300PU
Cost: $660M The Russian president’s flagship aircraft is a Russian-made wide-bodied, long-haul airliner, complete with its own radar-jamming technology. There are three more identical aircraft so people don’t know which one Putin is in. In addition to some technical modifications, including a telecommunications command centre, parts of the cabin have been lavishly decorated with tapestries and gold leaf. There is also a gym and office.
ANGELA MERKEL’S AIRBUS A340
Cost: $398M Named after the eponymous postwar German statesman, the Konrad Adenauer since 2011 has been a former Lufthansa Airbus A340 re-configured into a VIP space with bedrooms and additional safety technology. The German chancellor also has a number of other planes at her disposal, including two Airbus A319s and a Bombardier Global 5000. All are equipped with anti-missile defence technology. A Eurocopter AS532 is used for domestic trips.
XI JINPING’S BOEING 747-400
Cost: $330M China’s leader does not have his own aircraft but instead uses two Boeing 747-400s that belong to Air China and are both regularly used for normal flights. When Jinping is set to fly one, the aircraft is carefully examined by the state’s security service and cabin seats are removed to make way for a living room, bedroom and office.
THE QUEEN’S FLEET
$131M Her Royal Highness uses the 32nd squadron of the Royal Air Force for overseas, and some domestic, trips, which includes two helicopters, six BAE-125s and four larger BAE-146s. The Royal household has its own helicopter. The Royal Family sometimes leases Boeing 747s or 777s from British Airways or Virgin Atlantic.