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Businessjets June 2009 | www.lifestyleliving.in

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OPULENCE PRIVATE JETS

wings of uber rich Tom Cruise is a frequent flier on board his Gulfstream IV. It's useful for film promotions, South Pacific vacations, and, of course, the wooing of Katie Holmes

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INSPIRATIONAL DESIGN IS THE ULTIMATE LUXURY

June 2009 | www.lifestyleliving.in

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OPULENCE PRIVATE JETS

PRABIR BISWAS YOU ARE a quintessential jet-setter, rolling in billions. Your average annual income runs into around $9.2 million. You splurge $147,000 a year on watches and maybe $117,000 on clothes. Or even a whopping $248,000 a year on jewellery. Your business or social commitments compel you to crisscross various parts of the globe at short notice.

Time is always at a premium for you. Privacy is sacrosanct for you.

Therefore, you can settle for nothing but a private jet tailored to your requirements and ready to fly you pronto!

Flying in a private jet is akin to experiencing a stay in a five-star deluxe resort. In fact, your plane is your home, with customised interiors like mahogany panelling, gold-plated fixtures and, maybe, a jacuzzi, or a screening room. There are cavernous interiors offering the latest in luxury. You have flat-screen televisions and a personal wet bar and

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lounge to sit and relax in. Liveried attendants cater to your whims and fancies. There are modern communication facilities, conference areas, generous office space and dining areas.

Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page are customising a Boeing 767-200 for private travel. Once legal issues with the designer are sorted out, Google One (not the official name) will feature separate state rooms for Sergey, Larry, and CEO Eric Schmidt, as well as come up with a seating for roughly 50 people. Steven Spielberg and Bill Gates are the proud new owners of a Bombardier Global Express XRS jet. John Travolta acquired his customised Boeing 707 as part of a Qantas promotion; as an honorary pilot of the company, he personally flew the Australian soccer team to Germany for the 2006 World Cup. His 707 is registered under ‘Jett Clipper Johnny LLC’. Paul Allen owns

INSPIRATIONAL DESIGN IS THE ULTIMATE LUXURY

your family, or even, a serious corporate meeting, minus any hassles.

Large commercial airlines only have a limited number of airports, routes and airfields that they can use, while a private jet service gives you access to thousands of other airports in many different places around the world. And the aircraft could range from a full-sized plane to a smaller turbo jet.

Says Robert W. Mann, Jr President, R.W. Mann & Company, Inc. founded in 1993, who has conducted more than 90 advisory assignments for airlines, airframe manufacturers, aviation industry investors and employee groups, worldwide, “The private jet lifestyle is all about time efficiency, comfort, travelling on your schedule and not having to worry with the complexities that are often involved with commercial airports. It allows you more destinations in less time, and you can even return home the same day before dinner.”

Owning your jet brings other advantages as well. Most airports offer private parking, personal security checkpoint, executive lounges, and sometimes, free transportation to the airport. When you land at your destination, you won't have to wait for a gate, or wait for your luggage to make its way through the airport to the luggage carousel.

You are on your own, with no strings attached.

two customised Boeing 757s–one for personal use and one for his sports teams (the Portland TrailBlazers and the Seattle Seahawks). Both are registered to Vulcan Aircraft Inc. But he may be setting his sights even higher. Jim Carrey enjoys his private jet as well as leases his Gulfstream V, which he purchased in 2001, for $8,000 an hour.

What makes the rich and the mighty go for these jets? Well, the reasons could vary, or even include, luxury, convenience of travel, freedom and the ability to see the world. Travelling on your own private jet lets you choose the exact time when you want to leave and assures that you'll get to your destination on time, without delay. You can plan your travel itinerary, including the point of origin, the final destination, the airfield and the route. Your private jet can become the venue for business meetings, a lavish ‘do’ with friends, holidaying with

June 2009 | www.lifestyleliving.in

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