The most luxurious private jet ever? Inside the new US$110 million Airbus A320neo airliner – dubbed a ‘flying penthouse apartment’

The Airbus A320neo was a game-changer for airlines and is now being eyed by the private jet industry.

The first next-generation aircraft to be produced by the European manufacturer, the A320neo promised and delivered lower operating costs and increased efficiency compared to the previous generation Airbus A320s.

The aircraft has the same shell of its ever-popular predecessor but features new engines and aerodynamically friendly sharklet wingtips, both aiding its reduced fuel consumption and providing additional range.

While the passenger model of the A320neo is in use the world over with airlines such as British Airways, Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa, there's a small subset of the aircraft being produced with the world's mega elite in mind.

Marketed as an Airbus Corporate Jet, the ACJ320neo is an A320neo modified for private use for when a regular private jet doesn't cut it. The aircraft is the latest in the ACJ line-up, with aircraft as large as the Airbus A350 XWB being offered in the product line.

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UK charter operator Acropolis Aviation took delivery of the first Airbus ACJ320neo in January 2019 at Airbus' main production facility in Toulouse, France, after which it went straight to Switzerland to have its luxurious interior cabin installed. Thirteen months later, the aircraft is ready to take passengers and is already jet setting around the world.

The cabin, designed by Yves Pickardt of Alberto Pinto Interior Design, is the pinnacle of luxury travel designed with comfort and space in mind, more comparable to a penthouse suite than an airliner.

While a passenger-configured Airbus A320neo can seat upwards of 180 people, this corporate-configured variant seats a mere 19 and can sleep 17. The design is aimed at exclusivity rather than capacity.

The apartment-like design of Acropolis' ACJ320neo is complete with a master bedroom and en suite bathroom, with the latter being the largest ever featured on an Airbus aircraft.

The ACJ320neo can fly up to 6,000 nautical miles, able to connect city pairs such as New York and Tokyo, London and Seattle, or Los Angeles and Auckland.

The ACJ320neo and A320neo family is based on Airbus' popular A320 product line, featuring a new engine offering and fuel-efficient additions. The aircraft's unit cost is US$110 million.

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The first Airbus A320neo flew in 2014, following 27 years of its predecessor's reign, with the previous generation A320 having flown its first flight in 1987. Lufthansa later took delivery of the first A320neo, integrating it seamlessly with its existing fleet of Airbus narrow-body aircraft. The aircraft has since joined the fleet of major airlines across the world including British Airways.

Thanks to its efficiency, airlines have touted the A320neo in fleet renewals and some are using the aircraft as a platform for new airline liveries and branding, as was the case for Aegean Airlines in Greece.

While new private jets such as the Gulfstream G650ER can fly farther than the ACJ320neo with a similar passenger load, the latter is a more remarkable status symbol – intended for the elite of the elite.

This article originally appeared in Business Insider.