One of the world’s leading specialists in private jet designs has unveiled new plans for a VIP, multimillion dollar uber-luxury aircraft.
Lufthansa Technik’s Explorer concept for the Airbus A330 comes with virtual ceilings, an open-air sun deck, a fitness suite and even a dance floor on board.
Click through the gallery above for more images of the 'flying hotel'.
The jet, which premiered at the Dubai Airshow this month, is set to appeal to the world’s super-rich, who like the idea of flying around the globe in a customised airborne suite.
"Your personal 'flying hotel' will provide you with all comforts and amenities that you can expect from a five-star hotel on the ground,” said a statement from the German private jet fit-out specialists.
The jet was inspired by the idea of the super-yacht, which lets owners travel around the world in what is essentially their own hotel. Lufthansa Technik's specialists have built on this concept, giving passengers the added advantage of being able to travel to the other side of the globe within hours, and then use the jet as a base camp for further activities.
And the futuristic designs for this wide-body aircraft really do seem to ensure that those travellers flying on it will want for nothing.
The jet becomes travellers' own 'base camp'
There’s a sprawling lounge area, a conference area, three spacious bedrooms with double beds, a fully stocked bar, a fitness suite and medical room, and a garage located below the main deck.
One of the most exciting elements of the concept is the open-air sun deck. Using the main deck cargo door and the floor at the front of the fuselage, designers have created a retractable veranda that extends outwards to create a terrace that sits some four metres above the tarmac, offering travellers a place to dine al fresco, sunbathe or simply take in the surrounding views.
Virtual ceilings: from boardroom to dance floor
The jet also uses virtual ceilings for a fully customisable ambience that can be changed to suit the traveller's mood or the occasion.
Using technology from Diehl Aviation, the aircraft’s cabin can be changed to create different zones. Projected images, patterns and moving pictures allow for the projection of a calming atmosphere in the medical suite, a neutral vibe during conference calls or a party-like, disco ball-inspired atmosphere in the lounge after hours.
"We created a unique interior to exploit the full potential of the projection system for private jets. The overall look of a VIP cabin can be changed by a fingertip,” said Michael Bork, aircraft interior architect in VIP and special mission aircraft service at Lufthansa Technik.
The technology can also be used to ‘paint by light’, casting projections of towering city skylines, underwater worlds and starlit skies on to the walls and ceilings of the aircraft cabin.
Fully customisable floor plans
Lufthansa Technik also promises that guests can take all their special equipment with them, "no matter if it is a car, off-road vehicle, wing suite, wine cellar, exploration laboratory or even an emergency medical room – or anything else you might dream of”.
The original designs for the Explorer are based on plans for eight to 12 passengers, but the mammoth cabin size of the A330 twin-engine aircraft means there’s plenty of space for additional lavish cabins if desired.
In its most recent neo configuration, the Airbus A330 has a range of more than 10,000 nautical miles, meaning untapped wanderlust for billionaire travellers.
And while a standard A330 neo costs just shy of $300 million, a custom-fitted Explorer is going to set elite customers back a lot more than that.
For aviation enthusiasts and billionaires who aren't big fans of the A330, there is no need to worry. The cabin floor plan for the Explorer is fully customisable and the designs can be easily transferred to fit any other wide body jet, such as an Airbus A350 or a Boeing 787, said Lufthansa Technik.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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