A total solar eclipse is rare enough to justify a long journey, but for Qatar’s ruling family, the journey came with a rather extraordinary mode of transport. A Boeing 747-8 operated by Qatar Amiri Flight flew from Doha to Mallorca as the royal family prepared for the August 12 eclipse, potentially turning an already lavish Mediterranean escape into a front-row seat for one of nature’s most spectacular events. There is no official confirmation that Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was aboard or that the eclipse prompted the trip, but the timing is difficult to ignore.
The emir’s VVIP 747 arrived in Mallorca on August 10, 2026, on the eve of the solar eclipse, as confirmed by Majorca Daily Bulletin. Palma lies within the path of totality, giving those on the island a chance to experience the rare spectacle, though the Sun will be extremely low on the horizon. The timing is particularly intriguing because Qatar itself will not see the August 12 total solar eclipse, meaning the royal family would have to travel abroad to experience totality.
A Boeing 747 that is anything but ordinary
The Emir of Qatar’s royal aircraft is not a commercial 747 that has simply been stripped of airline seats. It is a factory-built Boeing Business Jet operated by Qatar Amiri Flight, the state VIP fleet. The aircraft associated with the Mallorca visit, A7-HHE, was the first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental delivered to any customer, arriving on February 28, 2012, ahead of Lufthansa’s first airline-operated 747-8I.
Its first flight took place on January 30, 2012, after which the aircraft was delivered as a green aircraft for an extensive VIP completion process. The work included elements associated with Greenpoint’s Aeroloft and Lufthansa Technik, and the aircraft appears to have entered fully completed service around 2016.
At approximately 76.3 meters long with a 68.4-meter wingspan, the aircraft is enormous even by jumbo-jet standards. Its wingspan places it in the ICAO Code F category, which helps explain why its size has previously created additional operational requirements at Palma Airport. Air traffic controllers have complained that the aircraft can only use one of the airport’s runways and that the runway needs to be inspected after its departure.
The 747-8 BBJ has a published range of roughly 8,840 nautical miles. The approximately 3,000-mile journey from Doha to Mallorca therefore represents only a fraction of its maximum range. Inside, the aircraft is closer to a flying palace than a conventional airliner, with more than 5,000 square feet of potential VIP floor space. Its Aeroloft configuration adds roughly 393 square feet of sleeping accommodation above the main cabin, normally providing berths for up to eight crew members.
The aircraft can accommodate around 89 passengers and 14 crew and is equipped with 11 bathrooms, five kitchens and a private office, among an extensive collection of VIP amenities. Its reported value is around $400 million, putting it firmly among the world’s most expensive private aircraft.
Why Mallorca makes sense for the eclipse
The eclipse provides an especially compelling reason to make the journey. Qatar will not see the August 2026 total eclipse, while the next total solar eclipse visible from Doha is not expected until 2081. Mallorca, meanwhile, lies inside the path of totality near its eastern end. The island will experience only around 96 seconds of totality, with the Sun very close to the horizon, making an unobstructed view toward the sea particularly valuable.
Mallorca also makes sense beyond the eclipse itself. The Qatari royal family has an established history with the island, meaning the necessary security, airport, hospitality and maritime arrangements are already familiar. The family regularly spends time there during the summer, while Al Lusail has repeatedly been spotted in Mallorcan waters.
For the eclipse, a yacht could be particularly useful because of the Sun’s extremely low position. A clear view toward the sea would eliminate many of the obstructions that could spoil the spectacle from land, while a vessel could potentially move if local cloud threatened the view. Mallorca is not the location offering the longest totality along the eclipse path, but it combines access to the event with a familiar luxury destination for the Qatari royals.
Al Lusail superyacht
If Emir Tamim and his family were aboard, the obvious place to watch the eclipse would be from Al Lusail, their 404-foot (123-meter) superyacht valued at around $500 million. The yacht has repeatedly been spotted around Mallorca and has served as a Mediterranean base for the Qatari royal family during previous visits. Built by Lürssen, Al Lusail is designed on a scale befitting a royal residence at sea. The yacht can accommodate up to 36 guests in 18 suites and has room for a crew of 56. Its amenities include a cinema, gym, beauty salon, beach club, swimming pool and elevator, while large expanses of glass give the interior and exterior spaces broad views of the surrounding sea.
Twin MTU diesel engines give Al Lusail a top speed of roughly 19 knots, while its substantial fuel capacity allows a range of approximately 4,500 nautical miles. For an eclipse occurring just above the horizon, however, the yacht’s greatest asset may simply be its mobility and unobstructed position at sea. Rather than watching through buildings or from behind a crowded shoreline, the family could enjoy the brief period of totality from the yacht’s expansive decks with an uninterrupted view across the Mediterranean.
The yacht has also recently undergone an extensive refit. Emir Tamim reportedly spent more than $35 million on a seven-month upgrade at Lürssen, with the work covering technical systems, propulsion and generators, HVAC and automation, the hull’s repainting and teak restoration across six decks. The yacht returned to the Mediterranean in June, making its timing in Mallorca particularly interesting.
The Qatari royals have a long history with the island. Tamim visited Mallorca in 2025 after attending a UN summit in Seville and boarded Al Lusail, while his wife Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani was photographed shopping in Palma in 2022. The family has also spent time on the island in previous summers. The trip to witness a solar eclipse is the kind of journey that only a royal family with a $400 million flying palace and a $500 million yacht could pull off, turning a rare celestial event into an extraordinary Mediterranean escape. Qatar may be thousands of miles from the eclipse’s path, but its ruler has the means to simply bring his flying palace to Spain and continue the journey aboard another palace at sea
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