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Prince Charles chartered the luxury 'Head of State' Airbus A320-232 jet, pictured, to fly to the United States
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The jet started out life as an ordinary passenger jet, but was completely refurbished with luxury equipment
It is a
luxury jet equipped with its own presidential area and is billed by its
owners as The Head of State. And for a total of four days, it is the
preferred mode of transport for Prince Charles on his tour of the United
States.
Prince
Charles chartered the specially converted Airbus A320-232 from
Masterjet based in Paris. Unlike a normal passenger jet, which can carry
in the region of 180 passengers, this aircraft only has space for 26.
Although,
for the VIPs on board they have luxury clubman style recliner seats,
while there is even a large double bed and shower room in the
presidential area.
Guests on board the aircraft can stroll along the spacious corridor, left, or take a shower, right
The jet even comes equipped with a Nespresso coffee machine as well as WIFI and satellite phones.
MailOnline
estimates that the aircraft would cost in the region of £120,000 to
charter for four days on a trans-Atlantic trip. A spokesman for Clarence
House declined to reveal the cost of the trip when contacted.
The
aircraft was chartered from Masterjet in Paris and is normally based in
Le Bourget Airport. It flew on Tuesday to RAF Brize Norton before
travelling to Andrews Airforce Base in Maryland.
The 2003
jet started its life working for US low-cost carrier JetBlue before it
was purchased by Masterjet and completely refurbished.
According to Masterjet, the aircraft has 'a brand new interior with unique 26 passengers VIP configuration'.
There is also a bedroom, private office, bathroom and shower in the 'presidential area'.
Passengers
on board the luxury jet can avail themselves of WIFI access within the
cabin and a 10-channel TV system with some 200 movies on demand.
There
are also two 42 inch wall mounted screens, and five smaller 21 inch
screens. There are eight, 10 inch screens in the armrests of the first
class cabin.
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Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are visiting Washington and Kentucky during the trip
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The aircraft, which is based in Paris, has its own special private zone described as 'the presidential area'
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Even the aircraft's toilet, pictured, is outfitted to the highest possible standards with leather and gold
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Despite having the same airframe as a normal passenger jet, this highly modified model carries just 26 people
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The luxury jet has its own conference room and is even equipped with a Nespresso machine
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A spokesperson for Clarence House said the cost of chartering the jet will be released later this year
INSIDE HEIR FORCE ONE
| Cruise Speed | 470kts |
| Max Speed | 490kts |
| Max Altitude | 41,000ft |
| Max Range | 4,000Nm |
| Max Range Loaded | 3,800Nm |
| Passengers | 26 |
| Bed | 1 |
| Toilets | 2 |
| Coffee Machine | Nespresso |
| Bathroom | 1 with shower |
| Cabin attendents | 3 |
Although
in December 2013, Prince Charles spent £246,160 on a private jet for
the state funeral of Nelson Mandela in South Africa.
A trip to India and Sri Lanka cost a further £350,000 while a five-day tour of the Middle East cost a further £228,426.
A
spokesman for Clarence House said: 'The Prince of Wales and The Duchess
of Cornwall are on an official visit to the USA behalf of The British
Government.
'Details about travel costs will be disclosed in the usual manner later this year in the Sovereign Grant accounts.'
Sir
Peter Westmacott, British Ambassador to Washington said: 'I am so
pleased to welcome The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall back
to the United States, ten years after their first official visit
together.
'Their
trip to Washington and Kentucky will showcase the best of the
transatlantic relationship – promoting democratic values, combatting
climate change, preserving the natural environment, creating
opportunities for the next generation - and provide yet another reminder
of the essential role the Royal Family play in keeping that
relationship special.'
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The jet, CS-TFY started life as a low-cost airline in United States for JetBlue before its luxury conversion
