Originally Posted by
jlemon
In many cases, these are privately owned aircraft that are, quite simply, very large business jets. A number of these wide bodies are based in the Mideast and are used for personal transportation by various royal families in that part of the world.
I once stayed at a B&B in New Zealand where the owner had been the personal pilot for one of the members of the Saudi royal family. Every five years or so, the prince would decide he wanted to upgrade, and the pilot would have to go off and get type certified on something bigger. Went from 737 to 757 to 747 as I recall.