Famed French interior design firm Cabinet Alberto Pinto was tasked with creating the interior of one multimillion BBJ 747-8i, which was bought for private use by a Middle Eastern businessman. The list price of the -8i model was US$400 million, according to the Business Jet Traveler, but the actual sale cost was undisclosed.
Take a look inside the flying mansion.
While owning any private jet is an indicator of wealth, the 747-8i BBJ is an unmistakable status symbol typically reserved for use by the world’s governments and a handful of the highest level of the elite.
The aircraft has seen success in the Middle East with countries including Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey and the UAE using the 747-8i for executive transport for their respective heads of state.
However, one 747-8i struggled to find a home and was subsequently scrapped at Arizona’s aircraft graveyard in 2022.
The Boeing 747-8 was initially planned as a private aircraft for a Saudi prince, but it sat dormant in Switzerland for 10 years after the prince’s unexpected death in 2011.
Royals and heads of state are not the only ones lucky enough to use an -8i BBJ, with one rich Middle Eastern businessman asking Cabinet Alberto Pinto to create a lavish interior for his mammoth private jet.
And the plane is the height of luxury – it’s hard to tell that you’re on board an airliner and not inside a palatial estate.
The aircraft’s interior is divided into ornate suites, staterooms, lounges, dining rooms, passenger seating areas and bathrooms – a home away from home for a wealthy road warrior.
The master bedroom is found in the nose of the aircraft, located directly under the co*ckpit. Situated at the very front of the fuselage, the nose is the most private section of the aircraft and quietest since it’s away from the engines.
The bedroom features a normal-size bed with the sidewalls lined with counter space with drawers for storage underneath.
The nose of the aircraft is often reserved for the first-class cabin with seats 1A and 1B being the most sought-after.
On this 747, those seats take the form of a two-person love seat.
The suite features minor touches such as personal reading lamps, bedside tables and walled cupholders for when turbulence hits. Lights throughout the aircraft can also be controlled by small touchscreens embedded in various surfaces.
The master bathroom features a walk-in shower as well as a single vanity complete with a full mirror and sink.
Ideal for long-haul flights, the shower allows the aircraft’s owner to fly across the world and still be able to head straight from the plane to meetings. Very few commercial aircraft feature a shower, with the amenity being a key marketing point for Boeing and Airbus’ private jets.
According to designer Yves Pickardt in an interview with Altitudes Magazine, the idea was to give the aircraft a “soft modern style”.
Pickardt was given “carte blanche” by the owner, who wasn’t interested in gaudy materials and preferred a simple style more like a family home.
“[The owner] wasn’t looking for anything outrageously luxurious, with gold and diamonds,” said Pickardt in the interview. “On the contrary, he called for some simplicity, which in the end is indeed the true luxury.”
The entire process, from design to implementation, took four years to complete, with the aircraft being serviced at AMAC Aerospace in Basel, Switzerland.
Pickardt reports that the project was completed on time and under budget.
Moving back in the aircraft, another guest bedroom can be found on the jumbo jet with no shortage of space thanks to its long and wide fuselage designed for airlines to carry as many passengers as possible.
Even the smaller bedrooms have their own perfectly appointed bathrooms with full vanities.
The main foyer of the aircraft divides the master bedroom from the rest of the aircraft and is home to the staircase leading to the upper deck.
Inside the 747’s iconic hump on this BBJ is a living room complete with bookshelves and a high-definition flat-screen television.
Behind the space is a children’s play area and crew quarters, with the -8i featuring the largest upper deck of any 747.
Directly ahead of the lounging space is the business end of the 747, the co*ckpit.
Back downstairs, couches also line the sidewalls of the aircraft offering additional seating capacity for extra passengers whether it be support staff or security detail.
Private office spaces and dining areas complemented by recliner leather chairs and entertainment systems, private office spaces can be found in pockets throughout the cavernous aircraft.
The centrepiece of the jet is the salon on the main floor with three couches, a coffee table and vaulted ceilings.
The space is ideal for hosting meetings, working, having after-dinner drinks or just relaxing on a long-haul flight.
Opposite the seating area is a circular table ideal for dining or even a game of high-stakes poker.
Each leather seat is also adjustable via electronic switches embedded in the armrests of each chair.
The aircraft even has a smaller seating section for additional passengers or staff complete with tables and large in-flight entertainment systems. According to Pinto, the owner has a large family that flies extensively.
With a range of around 7,700 nautical miles, the BBJ 747-8i can cover long distances with ease and service city pairs, including New York-Hong Kong, Cape Town-Chicago and Los Angeles-Melbourne.
The towering aircraft, with all of its features, is the clear flagship of the aircraft portfolio of Cabinet Alberto Pinto – but it’s not the only designer to have made VIP 747 interiors.
Competitors like American VIP cabin maker Greenpoint Technologies and Germany-based Lufthansa Technik also created luxe interiors for 747 private planes.
This article originally appeared on Business Insider.
