KEY POINTS:
From Texan firepits to chandeliers, the wish-list from clients wanting the outlandish on their private planes hasn't stopped growing in the face of the global economic slump.
The big private jet makers may have experienced some drop in demand but the backlog of work still stretches for years for planes as large as Boeing 747 jumbos and one Airbus A380 (dubbed the Flying Palace), ordered by Prince Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia.
The total finished price for one of the big jets is around $800 million for a particularly opulent fitout.
New Zealand plane spotters will get a taste of one of the more utilitarian wide-body private jets when British heavy metal band Iron Maiden touch down in February. Dubbed Ed Force One (to honour mascot Eddie the Head), the Boeing 757 is piloted by singer Bruce Dickinson and, in something of a rarity in the notoriously secretive world of private planes, the band don't mind talking about it.
As United States carmakers showed, a low profile is the best way to go. They were savaged after flying in corporate jets to Washington to plead for a US government bailout.
An Air New Zealand subsidiary, Altitude Aerospace Interiors, was set up last year to tap into the private jet market, as well as fitting out or remodelling airline cabins.
The company hopes to make an announcement on a commercial aircraft cabin fitout this month.
Its staff have done cabins for Air New Zealand and recently designed a bar unit for V Australia's new 777, featuring embossed walls, sliding stools and a domed ceiling.
Private plane completion is a multibillion-dollar business and in spite of the economic meltdown around the world, still has a backlog of work.
But Altitude's VIP Aircraft commercial manager Matt Woolaston said the past two months had seen a drop in demand.
"Up until two months ago there was reasonable concern about the ability to support the rollout completion phase."
There had been reports of a handful of orders for 747s and the yet to fly 787 being lost or deferred, which could change the dynamics of the fitout market substantially, he said. However, there remained a deep pool of multibillionaires still in the market.
"The lion's share of these people are above the weather - some are even making some money in these times."
Altitude's general manager Michael Pervan has said large private jet owners need to fit at least one of three criteria. They need at least $1 billion, have the need to travel and, importantly, not be vulnerable to a public backlash for owning one.
Hard times have forced top tier commercial airlines to try even harder to distinguish themselves from competition, creating opportunities for Altitude.
The company has a hangar in Christchurch capable of working on large aircraft. In keeping with the secretive world of private jets, it is separate from Air New Zealand's other hangars and requires an extra level of security clearance.
"There's a desire by the principals to ensure work on their plane is separated out from commercial activity."
Pervan said Altitude was working with two main New Zealand suppliers, one specialising in textiles and leather and another in hard interiors for yacht building, using wood and granite.
The company was also casting around for other domestic suppliers and had commissioned a European aircraft safety specialist to work with them on what standards are required.
Firepits and chandeliers may struggle to meet aviation safety standards but the sky's the limit for other features designed for planes in completion centres, around a dozen of which are in Europe and United States.
They include saunas, king-size suites, wine cellars and garage space for vehicles. The more austere government planes stop mainly at the suites, with plenty of standard seating throughout the aircraft.
As at October, Boeing Business Jets had sold 143 business aircraft over a nine-year span, ranging from 737s to next generation jumbos with a floor area three times that of an average New Zealand home.
