The private jet of the emir of Qatar is so large that it altered air traffic in Palma to check the runway after landing
Palma de Mallorca lives the same routine every summer. Millions of touristsqueues at check-in and a heat that hits from the first hour. But last summer there was one flight that was more talked about than any other. Just like counted the Persian Gulf press, the event did not occur due to a breakdown or an emergency landing, but rather due to the simple fact of landing at Palma airport with a plane of enormous size. A plane that, despite the fact that its owner considers it “his private jet”, is so large that it forced almost all air traffic in Palma to be delayed just to verify that it had not left marks on the asphalt of the landing strip. A landing that stopped the airport. The private jet of the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thanileaves its mark on all the airports where it lands. No wonder, its size and weight tests the operational capacity of the infrastructure, to the point of elevating its category from a regional airport to one with international capacity. as it already happened with the small airfield of Sardinia. On this occasion, the gigantic private jet took land at the Son Sant Joan airport, near Palma de Mallorca, at the beginning of last summer. The Spanish controllers association told it in its count in X. After landing, they said, “a runway check is carried out in case any type of dirt had been introduced.” In reality, what is inspected is that the runway asphalt has not been damaged during the landing after the impact of the 400 tons it weighs. This review is part of the mandatory protocol for aircraft of this size and leaves the runway that has been used closed for several minutes. During that time, controllers can only use one of the airport’s two runways, and nearby taxiways are left clear as this behemoth of the air moves toward its assigned parking lot. A “private jet” that needs half an airport to itself. We are talking about a Boeing 747-8, the largest version of the historic jumbo jet ever manufactured. According to the Boeing dataits wingspan reaches 68.4 meters and its length exceeds 76 meters. These are figures for a large commercial aircraft with capacity for up to 531 passengers, but in this case, its use is exclusive as a private jet for the Emir of Qatar and his large entourage. This makes it, de facto, a kind of flying presidential palace. Its imposing size means that very few airports in the world are prepared to receive such aircraft normally. Palma, despite being one of the busiest airports in the country During the summer, due to its influx of international flights, it achieves this, but with special maneuvers every time one of these giants lands. A single plane turns the airport upside down. The 747-8 falls into the “Heavy” category, according to the company itself. AENA document. That classification is for airplanes over 136 tons. This forces us to extend the operating distance with the plane behind, to avoid the turbulence generated by its wings. The result of this delay with the next landing generates a domino effect on the rest of the flights, slowing down the normal operations of the airport, already in itself. stressed by the increase in tourists in summer. Other flights wait on the ground or in the air while the private giant settles into the indicated location. Added to this is the logistical difficulty caused by the arrival of these giants of the air and platforms capable of accommodating an aircraft of this weight are limited. Luxury goes inside. Inside, the plane is another story. It is estimated that it is around 360 million euros. It hides lounges, offices and rest areas with fine woods and gold finishes, far from what we would find in the cabin of a commercial flight. The family usually completes the summer on board the Al Lusailhe imposing superyacht of 123 meters in length valued at 500 million dollars that each year awaits its owner, whose annual expenditure on vacations is equivalent to that of 10,000 tourists. Just give him a hand painting this superyacht It has cost 13 million euros. As I collected he Diary of Tarragonaat this moment the Al Lusail It is moored in the Tarragona marina, very close to the Reus airport. Given the dates, Tarragona, heats that this summer is your turn. In Xataka | The Boeing 747 that the Emir of Dubai uses as a private plane is so luxurious that even the pilot’s controls are made of gold Image | Image | Wikimedia Commons (Khamenei.ir, John Murphy)
