On August 20, 2011, the cumulation of months of infighting across Libya came to a head as anti-government forces moved into Tripoli. Within hours, rebels had taken the city and overthrown Muammar Gaddafi, ending his contentious 42-year dictatorship. As media outlets and journalists flocked to the city in the wake of its liberation, one point of interest became the colonel’s eccentric lifestyle and his unsurprisingly luxurious private Airbus A340-200.

Onboard Afriqiyah Force One

While many jets at Tripoli International Airport (TIP) were destroyed or heavily damaged during the fighting, the private A340, registered as 5A-ONE, was left relatively unscathed, bar some shrapnel and bullet holes scattered across the skin of the jet. Rebels based at the airport allowed several journalists onboard to view Gaddafi’s in-air nightclub-like palace, giving a glimpse into his lavish day-to-day comforts.

Built in 1996, the widebody began life as part of the Sultan of Brunei’s Flight, serving alongside two other A340s. By 2000, it was acquired by Saudi Arabian Kingdom Holding for private use by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud. However, it rapidly changed hands again when Libya’s state-owned Afriqiyah Airways purchased the aircraft for the modest sum of $120 million in 2006.

The now 10-year-old jet was kitted out like an airborne bachelor pad. Gaddafi’s private bedroom was situated…