Peek inside a Flying Palace

By Lionel Laurent, Forbes

Reiner Heim, a Munich, Germany-based aircraft interior design firm, already has an idea. The company specialises in outfitting jets according to the wishes of wealthy private and government clients, customising everything from the carpet design to the wood finish.

And before the first Airbus double-decker A380 - the world's largest passenger aircraft -even hit the tarmac last month, Reiner Heim had already dreamt up a VIP design for the super-jumbo, in partnership with maintenance and overhaul company Lufthansa Technik.

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Five star luxury

The proposed design includes a fitness area, a dining area, a conference hall, two master bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and a private office - all spread across two levels. And if Prince Al-Waleed decides on a similar layout, he will have the option of stuffing guests into the economy class seating area or in roomier business class seats.

"There will be very high-finished wood veneers, very high-level fabrics like silk and the wall panels will also be fabric or wood veneer," said Reiner Heim's Chief Executive Warja Riedel. She said the design could include custom-made light fittings, handcrafted carpets and special furniture leather, all tailor-made for aircraft interiors.

"The comfort and everything is done so that you can really feel at home," said Riedel.
The A380 has more than 6,000 square feet of space on board, and can seat 900 passengers when configured for economy class.

That makes it some 20 per cent larger than Reiner Heim's biggest project to date, a VIP-plus makeover of a Boeing 747-400, which cost just under $150m. Although Reiner Heim's Riedel was unable to estimate exactly how much the A380 design would cost, the extra floor space would probably mean higher prices than for the Boeing 747-400.

With such a high price tag for these designs, Prince Al-Waleed is typical of the kind of client Reiner Heim attracts. The 50-year-old Saudi prince topped Forbes.com's list of the Middle East's 20 richest earlier this year, and ranked as the 13th richest person on the planet, with a net worth of $20.3bn. The prince's worth is boosted by his Kingdom Holding conglomerate and a sizable stake in Citigroup.

Prince Al-Waleed's A380 order is a good example of the Middle East's love affair with the Airbus super-jumbo, which appeals to the Gulf's appetite for size at a time when Boeing is concentrating on single-level designs.

Dubai-based airline Emirates is the A380's biggest customer, with 58 firm orders on the books, and in July, a private equity firm from Dubai bought a 3.1 per cent stake in Airbus' parent company, European Aeronautic Defense and Space.

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