Nicolas Sarkozy's Presidential Plane Costs A Pretty Penny

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While the Royal Couple flew commercial across the Atlantic and David Cameron and his wife took budget airline Ryanair on their holiday last summer, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was busy retrofitting his plane with $108,000 ovens.

The president's jet, dubbed by pundits as "Air Sarko One," is a $83 million Airbus A330 bought from Air Caraibes, the Daily Mail reports.

Sarkozy allowed the plane to undergo a roughly $410 million retrofitting, which included the installation of a roughly $3 million office, an en-suite bedroom and - wait for it - $1.6 million electric shutters.

Most first class cabins on commercial flights only have microwaves. Sarkozy's plane has not one, but two electric ovens capable of making pretty much anything.

The plane also comes equipped with a missile defense system, a medical room and a conference room for 12 people, which features a special chair to make the 5'5" president seem taller.

In comparison, Obama spends his time on Air Force One reading, watching movies from the plane's extensive library and playing cards. Air Force One boasts 4,000 square feet of floor space on three levels, and has a food prep gallery that can feed 100 people at a time, according to WhiteHouse.gov.

Earlier this month, the pregnant first lady and her husband were seen in their bathing suits at one of the presidential retreats, Fort de Bregancon. They are reportedly planning yet another vacation in August.

Quelle horreur!

Filed Under: Air Travel, News

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carney373

Electric ovens? You'd think a Frenchman, with their focus on gourmet, would insist on a gas oven instead of settling for second best.

July 28 2011 at 2:56 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Max Simpson

"While the Royal Couple flew commercial across the Atlantic".

Oh poor them, flying First Class no less when coming back to the UK, yet having a private plane flying them about everywhere before - all at us British taxpayers expense.

Get some perspective for goodness sake.

July 27 2011 at 3:00 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
chrsmith3

Clear the French have no debt ceiling problems,,,

July 27 2011 at 2:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sir Flap of Jack

Way sweeter than Canada's POS.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_transports_of_heads_of_state_and_government#Canada

July 27 2011 at 2:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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