BusinessWeek is reporting a new trend in private aviation that has billionares competing with one another. With new technology, large and small jets can be made much quiter these days, and millions are being spent to outfits private jets with this technology.
On the world’s biggest private jets, luxury is quietly reaching new lows. Engineers customizing planes for wealthy clients are dramatically reducing noise levels in cabins. Airliner-size planes from Boeing and Airbus have long been fitted with luxury features, from faux fireplaces to gold-plated bathroom fixtures. Now, billionaire owners are demanding serenity in flight.
With extra insulation and redesigned climate control systems, engineers can bring the decibel level down below 50, enabling normal conversation at more than 6 feet away. That’s about half as loud as the levels in the least noisy seat on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the quietest plane on the market today.
Guys like Donald Trump, Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal and Russian steel magnate Roman Abramovich have all invested in soundproofing. Of course, not everyone will take things that far, but expect this to be a topic of conversation at the private jet waiting area in the future.