Nicolas Sarkozy orders Air Sarko One plane - Telegraph

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Nicolas Sarkozy orders Air Sarko One plane Nicolas Sarkozy's dream of having his own presidential jet to rival America's Air Force One are about to come true with "Air Sarko One", a £150 million aircraft complete with bedroom, air filter system so he can smoke cigars, and a shower. The specially upholstered Airbus A330-200, has just been taken on its first test flight in Bordeaux, southwestern France, with all internal fittings due for completion by October. The plane will also include a 12-man meeting room, 60 business class seats, top-grade encrypted communications systems, a reinforced fuselage and missile decoy system. A fleet of smaller jets is also to replace the current Falcon 50 and 900 models at ministers' disposal. This includes two Falcon 7Xs, models often favoured by the world's jet set. Presidential air force officials have dubbed it "Air Carla One" after his ex-supermodel wife. The French leader is understood to have long envied the luxurious conditions in which Barack Obama, the US President flies across the world in his Boeing 747-200B, and has complained that his two smaller Airbus A319s lacked the necessary presidential stature. "Air Sarko One" as the plane has been dubbed, will have a wingspan a good two feet longer than the US model. It has also been claimed that Mr Sarkozy had wanted a full-sized presidential bathtub on the plane but he was told that it could prove a problem as under heavy turbulence the bathwater may overflow and seep into the air craft at the risk of sparking short circuits. The president was told he would have to settle for a flood-proof hip bath, according to Le Canard Enchaîné, a claim the government denies. But Mr Sarkozy's €176 million (£147 million) purchase and refit of the jet from tourist airline Air Caraïbes has raised eyebrows as the winds of austerity blow through Europe and other leaders are reining in their perks. David Cameron has made great play of his decision to travel on commercial flights as part of the Government's austerity drive. Tony Blair's plans to purchase two private jets, immediately dubbed "Blair Force One," at a cost to the taxpayer of £100 million, were scrapped by Gordon Brown soon after he came to power. Mr Sarkozy has come under criticism for the new plane weeks after ordering ministers to cut spending and following a string of embarrassing expenses scandals. Earlier this month, Alain Joyandet, secretary of state for overseas development stood down amid reports he had hired a private jet at a cost of €116,500 to fly to the Caribbean. Then Christian Blanc, state secretary for the Greater Paris region was forced to resign after it emerged that he had spent €12,000 on Cuban cigars at the taxpayer's expense. Mr Sarkozy's government yesterday rebutted claims that the new presidential plane was an extravagance. Luc Chatel, the government spokesman, said: "There is nothing ostentatious, simply a desire to have equipment fitting for the world's fifth power". He has argued that the cost of new presidential jet will be offset by the sale of two smaller A319s currently used. However, the two medium-range jets are only expected to fetch around €20 million.

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Yep. But it's interesting to notice that Sarko can't control his bling-bling instincts even when he was bound to know it'd cost him political capital.

That being said, the french administration is replete with expense scandals and stuff. But, as with the UK, if they were asked to reduce spending, they'd cut the muscle rather than the fat... Funny world.

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If you compare the diplomatic importance of the US and France and expected that their heads of state would have proportionate aircraft, French company Dessault has models that would suit Sarkozy. The Falcon 2000LX takes 6 passengers, comfortably adequate for Sarkozy, his wife, a mistress, a private secretary and two bodyguards.

It can fly with one stop from Paris to as far as Alaska, in case Sarkozy wishes to consult Sarah Palin. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 42,200 lbs.

The Airbus A330-200 that Sarkozy has actually chosen carries 250 passengers in three-class configuration, has a takeoff weight of 514,000 pounds. That would, I suppose, be sufficient to carry all Berlusconi's personal retinue as well as Sarkozy's in the unlikely event that the two men chose to join forces on something. (I have seen no reports on what aircraft Berlusconi otherwise has at his disposal.)

The Boeing 747-200 that Obama has, has a maximum takeoff weight of 785,000 pounds and in standard three class configuration carries 366 passengers. (In fact he has two, on the principle that if terrorists manage to shoot down Air Force One, they have only a fifty per cent chance of downing the president. That seems a little edgy to me. Why does he not have a choice of ten? Or fifty? American paranoia seems to have lost the plot here.)

If Sarko had been truly unable to have controlled his bling-bling instincts, he would have ordered an Airbus A380. It has maximum takeoff weight of 1,235,000 pounds and in three-class configuration carries 555 passengers. He could have taken most of the French parliament with him. Or not.

Originally Posted by roadkill

If Sarko had been truly unable to have controlled his bling-bling instincts, he would have ordered an Airbus A380.

You're, of course, right. It could always get worst.

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