Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has added a Boeing 787 to his private jet fleet. The well-known owner of Chelsea F.C. is swapping his 767-300ER for the 787-8, which has been reconfigured to carry 50 select passengers. Abramovich will become the third person to own a private 787, along with the Mexican government and a charter firm.
In with the new
Just as news of Roman Abramovich’s sale of his private 767, known as ‘The Bandit’ broke, the billionaire has added a new aircraft. The Russian-Lithuanian-Israeli-Portuguese citizen has purchased a new Boeing 787-8. According to Forbes Russia, the aircraft costs roughly $350 million, including $100 million for a luxury cabin and other additions.
Abramovich is taking up a new 787 that was set to go to Swiss operator PrivatAir. According to Planespotters.net, was built in 2015 but couldn’t be taken up due to the airline’s bankruptcy in 2018. After spending four years in storage, the plane moved to Basle Airport for a new cabin outfit. On 19th December, P4-BDL made its way to Moscow for service with Abramovich.
Spotted at Princess Juliana Intl Airport: Roman Abramovich’s shiny new 787-8 (delivered in 2018) under Reg: P4-BDL. Credit to @beecks for taking this stunner photo of a stunner airplane. #AvGeek #planespotting @JetTipNet @jonostrower @AirlineFlyer pic.twitter.com/AozCtU8Oaj
— RotateSpotter (@RotateSpotter) December 19, 2021
Flying in style
As expected, the Chelsea owner has outfitted his 787 with all the bells and whistles imaginable. Details are sparse given the private nature of the aircraft, but we do know some details. For instance, P4-BDL will seat 50 passengers, 10 security personnel, 10 staffers, and 30 guests, spread over 224 square meters.
While we don’t know what the inside looks like, we do know what private 787s could look like. Passengers can expect bedrooms, couch-style seating, a kitchen for fresh food, and several bathrooms. Additionally, the billionaire is known for being security conscious, so an onboard defense system on par with world leaders’ security is very likely.
While the $350 million price tag is eye-watering for most, Roman Abramovich’s estimated net worth of $12.9 billion put things in perspective. So what will the 787 be replacing?
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Goodbye Bandit
For years now, Roman Abramovich has been known for his private 767-300ER. The plane is nicknamed Bandit due to the black ‘Zorro mask’ paint on the front, similar to the one seen on the new Airbus aircraft. This aircraft is now on sale for $100 million, according to aeroTELEGRAPH.
Now that it’s on sale, we have an inside view of the aircraft. The 767 features three guestrooms (with bunk beds!), a reading room, dining room, living room, and two guests bathrooms. Additionally, the plane has a large master bedroom and bathroom. Safe to say, the 34 passengers onboard will be set for a comfortable flight no matter the length.
In case you have a spare $100 million, there’s a special 767 on the market for you!
The differences
The 787 brings some notable advantages compared to the 767. The larger cabin means that the plane accommodates more passengers and new features. Importantly, the aircraft has a range of 18,418 km (9,944nm) when carrying 25 passengers. This means journeys from London to Sydney and beyond are well within reach.
What do you think about Roman Abramovich’s new aircraft? Let us know in the comments!
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