It should come as no surprise that planes are expensive. Often, they carry eyewatering price tags well into the hundreds of millions of dollars range. But not all planes are created equal, some are more expensive than others. So what exactly are the most expensive planes currently in our skies?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most expensive planes are a combination of important military aircraft, large commercial airliners and especially glitzy private jets owned by the richest of the richest 1%!
For the purposes of this article, we will be looking at both flyaway cost (the cost to buy a brand new model directly from the manufacturer) as well as the per hour operational cost.
10. Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit – $737 Million
9. Boeing YAL-1 – $700 Million
8. Air Force One – $660 Million
Best known as the blue and white aircraft the President flies in, Air Force One isn’t actually a single plane. Rather, it is a call sign used by any aircraft carrying the President or the First Family.
Currently, two modified Boeing 747-200s (designated the VC-25A by the US Air Force) are most commonly used as Air Force One by all US presidents since Reagan.
When acquiring the pair of VC-25As, the US Air Force, Secret Service and Boeing spent considerable effort ensuring that all occupants of the aircraft could survive any cataclysmic event.
As the current VC-25As are over 30 years old, there have been plans to replace them with three VC-25Bs, a trio of 747-8s reconfigured to fly the leader of the free world and all that entails.
7. Boeing 747-8 VIP – $567 Million
6. Airbus A380-800 – $445.6 Million
5. Boeing 777-9 – $442.2 Million
4. A340-300 – $425 Million
3. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III – $340 Million
2. Boeing P-8A Poseidon – $275 Million
1. Boeing 747-430 – $260 Million
The “cheapest” entry on this list, this particular Boeing 747-430 isn’t your typical 747. The private jet of the immensely wealthy Sultan of Brunei, the 747-430 is playfully nicknamed the “Flying Palace”.
According to insiders, the Sultan spent approximately $100 million acquiring the jet through Lufthansa in 1992 and a further $120 million adding all the amenities befitting one of the wealthiest monarchs alive.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the oil-rich Sultan’s jet is decked out in gold, including gold-plated doors, accents and even a gold-plated sink!
Other amenities include a state-of-the-art entertainment system, a 14 person dining room, a Lalique crystal and several bedrooms, including the Sultan’s personal suite.
What do you think about the most expensive planes? Which would you buy if you had the money? Tell me in the comments!