Gulfstream G550 | 2003

Airline - Dhahran Royal Flight
Aircraft - Gulfstream GV-SP (G550) | A9-FBK
Delivered to Dhahran Royal Flight, 2003
Livery - Standard 2003
Country - Kingdom of Dhahran

In 2003, the Dhahran Royal Flight took delivery of the first of four Gulfstream G550s (the next three were delivered in 2004). Configured with interiors even more opulent than normal G550s delivered to other countries, the aircraft were estimated to be worth around $80 million each, though official figures were never released. In a rare display of vanity, King Fathi bin Khaleel registered this first-delivered G550 'A9-FBK' - his initials. At the time, aviation enthusiasts debated at great lengths the reasoning behind the order for these four aircraft - the Dhahrani Royal Flight already operated almost ten A310-300HSCs, a 747SP, and two Gulfstream GIV-SPs. For some time it was hypothesized that at least one of these aircraft was meant to replace the A310-300HSC destroyed on the ground in Baghdad during the Invasion of Iraq, however as time went on more A310s being retired by Dhahrani were converted into -300HSCs, so this idea fell by the wayside. Some thought that perhaps the six-year-old GIVs were due for replacement, however this theory was also discarded, as the GIVs were the youngest type in the Royal Flight (only six years old at the time), and also because they continued to fly (and still do to this day).

In the end, however, the likeliest scenario is that the G550s were purchased by the Royal Flight simply because the King wanted them. With around the same range as the 747SP, they could be used on flights to any continent (except for parts of the Americas) without as much logistical preparation, or if only a few people needed to travel. This meant that the G550s found themselves being used more for a very specific set of missions. The first is for spur-of-the-moment trips where it would take too long to plan and execute a 747SP or A310 flight, mostly to leisure destinations (which included 'shopping flights' to places like Paris). The second is transporting elected members of the government who did not require as much luxury as the Royal Family. The third is operating into airports that could not accommodate a larger aircraft, such as Praslin in the Seychelles, Lugano, and Aspen. When Princess Jamila bin Fathi al Amin (the King's daughter) began her studies at the Sevenoaks School in Kent in 2010, one of the four aircraft (the one registered with her initials, A9-JBF) was designated as her official aircraft, and was more-or-less permanently stationed at Biggin Hill Airport, 20 minutes by car from Sevenoaks, during the school year.


Disclaimer: This project is designed to look at the progression of aviation in a more-or-less generic fictional Middle Eastern state. Any similarities to real people, locations, or situations may be intentional. I have zero knowledge of Arabic, so while I have spent considerable time trying to get it right, mistakes are possible, and any advice is greatly appreciated.