The Airbus A380 superjumbo is the next big thing in private jets

Airbus

Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 has officially found a new lease on life as an ultra-luxurious private jet.

On Monday, Sparfell and Partners announced at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition that it will offer second-hand Airbus superjumbos for sale as head-of-state aircraft.

The Geneva-based firm also announced that it will work with London’s Winch Design to create the A380 private jet’s opulent interior.

While Sparfell did confirm that the A380s it has been tasked with selling are used, they declined to disclose the source for these aircraft.

According to Flight Global, Sparfell ‘s superjumbos are believed to be the four early-build A380s coming off lease from Singapore Airlines.

An ad placed by the Geneva-based company on Avbuyer.com indicates the planes the were built in 2007-2008 with Rolls-Royce engines and seating arranged in a configuration in line with that of Singapore Airlines.

Winch Designs

Airbus A380 interior rendering.

Sparfell also declined to share how much it cost to convert the aircraft. However, a company representative did tell Business Insider that the converted A380s will cost less than a comparable new Ultra VIP transport.

The announcement represents the beginning of a new phase in life for the iconic, but slow-selling aircraft. In fact, with the earliest production A380s expected to enter the second-hand market over the next few years, the ultra-lux executive jet market may be a viable channel for these planes. Until now, most industry observers have looked towards high-density, low-cost, long-haul carriers or bargain-hunting mainline carriers as potential second-hand customers.

Winch Design

The A380 as a VIP transport is not a new idea. Unfortunately, for Airbus, there have been few willing to take on the world’s largest airliner as a private jet. In 2007, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alaweed did place an order for such an aircraft. However, the proposed aircraft never came to fruition and the order was eventually stricken from the Airbus order book.