The first Boeing 747-8 business jet was originally intended to be a “flying mansion” for the Saudi royal family, but after flying for less than 30 hours, it was sent to the scrapyard.
As Supercar Blondie reports, the strange fate of the plane (originally priced at $350 million) has sparked online discussion about whether the rare aircraft will go to waste.
However, the buyer, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, died in 2011 before delivery was scheduled for the following year.
CNN reported that the VIP plane remained parked at the Basel-Mulhouse Freiburg European Airport on the border of France, Germany and Switzerland for the next 10 years.
There, it should come with a luxurious interior including private bedrooms, lounge areas, conference rooms and more, according to Supercar Blonde.
But after efforts to find another buyer, the switch never happened despite a discount to $95 million in 2017.
The jumbo jet made just 16 flights before flying in 2022 to Arizona’s Pinal Airpark, an aircraft graveyard where retired aircraft are preserved, recycled for parts or eventually scrapped.
The lack of interest in the aircraft is understandable, especially since few outside government officials or members of the royal family will fly it. However, this is still a significant loss as the value may never be fully recovered. CNN reports that as of 2023, the aircraft is being dismantled and most of its valuable parts, including the engine, have been removed.
“[The engines] “These planes are actually brand new and one of them is probably worth around $20 million, so the four are probably worth around $80 million,” Connor Diver, senior analyst at aviation analytics firm Cirium, told CNN.
Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst at Aerodynamics Consulting, told the news outlet that many parts may be reused in the cargo plane. Another nine BBJ 747s are still in use by the governments of Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Türkiye, Diver said.
Although produced in small numbers, they still produce significant pollution due to their sheer size, fuel consumption and manufacturing process. Despite improvements in fuel efficiency and aircraft design, private jets are far more polluting per passenger than commercial aviation or ground travel.
Craft said there are about 23,000 private jets in operation around the world, but because the 747-8 VIP is the undisputed leader in size and amenities, its rarity brings minimal benefits to the environment and public health.
“Ten in total were built and this is the first one to be retired,” Diver said. “It’s not transparent exactly who is buying them, but it’s a very, very large private jet and the only operators or buyers tend to be the government and the royal family.”
“This is an absolute waste of manpower and limited natural resources,” someone commented on a post about the plane on the r/aviation subreddit.
Get TCD’s free newsletter for simple tips to save more, reduce waste and make smarter choices, and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD’s exclusive Rewards Club.