Sarkozy names 50-million jet 'Carla'

It seems that French President Nicolas Sarkozy doesn’t want to miss the first lady even while he’s flying without her — the flamboyant leader has named his new £50million jet aircraft ‘Carla’, after his wife.

The first, a hugely luxurious Dassault Falcon 7X jet with a range of 6,000 nautical miles, has now been delivered complete with the hand-painted ‘Carla One’ glistening on its side.

“She’s a beautiful plane and of course officially named after the president’s wife,” a source at Villacoublay airbase near Paris, where the plane is currently stationed, was quoted as saying.

The Falcon comes with full leather seats and teak desks — it is understood to be red, white and blue.

Jean Guisnel, and aviation expert for France’s Le Point magazine, said the model is decorated in the livery of all official French planes — “sober and elegant”. The Sarkozys will also get a top-of-the-range Airbus A330-200 which is bigger than any other European leader’s, but smaller than that of Barack Obama’s Boeing 747-200.

The Airbus will be fitted with desks for Sarkozy and a secretary, a meeting room for 12, and seating for 60 passengers, as well as a bedroom and a private bathroom.