This $400 million Boeing 747 is typically used by governments and the world’s elite
- The Boeing 747-8 is an extra-large private jet
- The BBJ 747-8 variant costs well above $400 million
- It’s mostly used by governments and elites
Published on Oct 04, 2024 at 4:16 PM (UTC+4)
by Siddharth Dudeja
Last updated on Oct 04, 2024 at 7:22 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Governments and elites across the world naturally like to fly in style, and the Boeing 747 has a variant called BBJ 747-8 that’s up for the task.
Taking a step towards luxury and utilizing all that real estate, the 747-8 is practically a flying palace.
It is not only an extremely capable aircraft, but it also provides everything you need inside.
That likely explains its cost, which can easily exceed $400 million.
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What makes the Boeing 747 special
Before we go into the specifics, note that the BBJ 747-8, which is actually an iteration of the Boeing 747, also has two variants.
The one used by governments and billionaires is the BBJ 747-8i — where the ‘i’ stands for international.
It’s part of the company’s Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) lineup, which is also shown in the name.
Think of it this way — the 747-8i is a private-jet version of the regular Boeing 747 and comes with some severe modifications.
Most of those are inside because the two aircraft look pretty identical from the outside.
Boeing only produced a handful of units of these — well, 155, to be precise — and that includes all versions of the 747-8.
Since the aircraft is super rare, this jumbo private jet isn’t an easy one to spot.
The beauty of the $400 million BBJ 747-8i
Although Air Force One — which is the US president’s dedicated plane — is a regular 747-200, it’s essentially the same idea.
However, the beauty and massive upfront cost of the 747-8i show in the aircraft’s interior, and it’s not something you get to see every day.
Even if you’re a billionaire and own private jets, the BBJ 747-8i stands out above the rest.
We got to see a glimpse of the world’s largest private jet when design firm Cabinet Alberto Pinto shared photos of an example they designed.
It obviously is unlike any other example of the same aircraft, but you will truly understand how far a private jet can go if you see what they did to the plane.
All in all, the Boeing 747 is one of the best aircraft in aviation history, which is why it remains a fan-favorite after all these years.
