Epaper
Mumbai, Nov 2 (IANS) Business magnate Mukesh Ambani’s new “flying office” worth nearly Rs.2.45 billion quietly arrived at Mumbai Airport early Friday.
The gleaming white-bodied aircraft with blue stripes, has been parked in Reliance’s private hangar near Kalina, the southern end of the domestic airport.
The Airbus A-319 aircraft, described as a “flying palace” by airport officials in the know, has been given the registration number VT-IAH.
Kept under tight security, it is off bounds for all, except the concerned airport, security and Reliance personnel, the officials told IANS.
In a special gesture to Mukesh, who stands now 14 on the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires, a top Airbus Industrie official personally flew down in the aircraft to “hand” it over to the Reliance big boss, aviation sources said.
Though a Reliance spokesperson in Mumbai remained “unavailable” for an official version, independent sources said that the customized jet was expected last April.
Originally, it was accepted as a ‘green delivery’, meaning that the aircraft was taken absolutely bare without any of the usual trappings. “It is akin to buying a bare skeletal flat without even the tiles or paint and then getting it done as per your choice,” the sources explained.
Later, a team of experts guided by Reliance officials planned out its complete customization at the Associated Air Centre, Dallas, US.
Among the top-class facilities the aircraft has been equipped with include a plush corporate office, a boardroom for holding top-level meetings in the sky, satellite communications, a master bedroom with an attached toilet, galleys and a lounge with a sky-bar.
All this has cost an estimated US $15 million, in addition to the aircraft cost.
The delivery of the aircraft was scheduled end-April 2007. However, aviation sources say, it was delayed mainly because of the lavish interiors that have been done.
But, it proved to be a blessing – it happily coincided with wife Nita’s birthday on Thursday.
This will also make Mukesh among the four-dozen odd Indian corporate bigwigs who now own their private corporate aircraft, either 8-seater jets or helicopters.
“But a private jet of the size of A-319, which is usually a 100-120-seater operated by the passenger fleet of Kingfisher Airlines and Air Deccan, is owned only by another Indian, Vijay Mallya,” the sources explained.
Among the other prominent owners are: Tata group with three aircraft, Raymond with one aircraft and three choppers, Larsen & Toubro one aircraft, Mallya two, including an 8-seater, Oberoi Hotels group a private jet based in Delhi and racing enthusiast Cyrus Poonawala of Mumbai.