The shock, the horror, the disgust, those were all the reactions by our elected officials in Washington when the auto execs flew on corporate jets to the nation’s capital. So what will the reaction be when those same officials hear that Citigroup, the beneficiary of a 45 billion dollar gift from the taxpayers, is upgrading its mile-high club with a brand-new $50 million corporate jet.
The French-made luxury jet seats up to 12 in a plush interior with leather seats, sofas and a customizable entertainment center, according to Dassault’s sales literature. It can cruise 5,950 miles before refueling and has a top speed of 559 mph.
There are just nine of these top-of-the-line models in the United States, with Dassault’s European factory churning out three to four 7Xs a month.
Citigroup execs are also quietly trying to unload two of their older Dassault 900EXs.
Those jets, nearly 10 years old, are worth an estimated $27 million each. They were still listed for sale yesterday on the Web site of Citigroup’s aviation broker, Aviation Professionals.
A company representative said she would not comment on “brokering both sides of the deal” when asked about the incoming Falcon 7X.
The Dassaults are part of CitiFlight’s Gulf Sierra fleet, which includes the two Falcon 900EXs, tail numbers N399GS and N588GS, currently for sale. FAA records show Citigroup reserved a new tail number, N488GS, possibly for the incoming 7X on Nov. 10 last year.
A woman answering the phone at CitiFlight’s private hangar in White Plains said she was “not authorized to release information” about the new jet.
Dassault’s US sales office declined to comment.
Citigroup spokesman Stephen Cohen declined to comment.