Luxury Bizliners: The Century Mark for Airbus Bizjets

At the NBAA Convention, Airbus announced that it had reached the 100 mark in sales of its Airbus corporate jets, a $5.5 billion milestone that took the company 10 years to reach but that also exceeded its goals by nearly 50 percent. Originally consisting of only the ACJ, an ultra-long-range corporate-configured A319 airliner, the lineup has expanded to include corporatized versions of the A320, A340 and, recently, a VIP version of the A380 super jumbo, the world's most capacious airliner. Last year Airbus took orders for 36 corporate jets, including 29 ACJs and seven VIP widebodies, including the one A380 VIP, which sold to an undisclosed customer. According to Airbus, the worldwide market for the A380, which is expected to cost in excess of $400 million once outfitted with an interior, is limited to 10 individuals.