Sultan of Brunei s plane is in Dublin

THERE WAS MUCH excitement among the plane-spotter community in Dublin this weekend as a very special plane touched down.
The private Boeing 747-400 of the Sultan of Brunei, with the call sign V8-ALI, landed in Dublin airport Saturday after a direct flight from Bandar Seri Begawan.
There has been some suggestion that this is the first ever non-stop flight between the two cities, though this cannot be verified.
The sultan himself was not believed to be on board and the plane is thought to be in town to receive a new paint job.
Neither Dublin Airport or Eirtech, a company that specialises in aeroplane painting, could confirm to TheJournal.ie the reason for the plane’s touchdown in Dublin, with spokesmen for both saying that they do not comment on individual planes.
The 747-400 is typically luxurious for a man believed to own over 7,000 cars as well as three jets. It comes complete with a living room, a bedroom and a remote control desk unit.
It is also detailed entirely in gold. Naturally.
The sultan owns what Guinness says is the world’s largest palace, Istana Nurul Iman.
It is said to have 1,788 rooms, including 257 bathrooms and a mosque that can host 1,500 people.
Can you shed some light on why the Sultan’s plane was here? Email: PaulHosford@TheJournal.ie