Boeing [NYSE: BA] Business Jets today announced it has won six new orders, increasing total program sales to 108 airplanes.
GENEVA – „The continued sales momentum of the BBJ reflects the value customers place on the airplane’s range capability, its industry-leading reliability and its spacious cabin,“ BBJ President Steven Hill said during a media briefing at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland. „The BBJ offers more than transportation; it offers the ability to travel with family, friends or business associates while working, eating, sleeping or entertaining in the air as you would at home or in the office.“
Boeing Business Jets secured the new orders within the last six months from regions all around the globe including Southeast Asia and Europe. Most BBJ customers choose to remain anonymous, which often is typical in these types of private business transactions.
Seventy-three customers have ordered 95 BBJs and 13 BBJ 2s. About 40 percent of BBJ customers are private individuals, 37 percent are government heads of state, and the remaining customer segment is divided between corporate and charter operators.
Hill also announced that the program is considering the development of a convertible cargo airplane based on the commercial Next-Generation 737-700C (Convertible). The airplane allows operators to alternate between passenger and cargo layouts. The 737-700C already includes the BBJ-inspired configuration of the 737-700 fuselage and the strengthened landing gear and wings of the 737-800.
„The airplane would provide the ultimate in flexibility and multi-purpose mission capability. It would be an ideal airplane for government heads of state or entrepreneurs,“ Hill said.
The decision to explore a possible new BBJ family member is based on a firm order from a BBJ customer for a 737-700C. Hill said a decision to offer the business jet version could be made before the end of the year, and if launched, it would be called the BBJ C.
The BBJ and BBJ 2 are high-performance derivatives of the commercially popular Next-Generation 737-700 and 737-800, respectively. Providing unsurpassed levels of space, comfort and utility, the BBJ cabin offers 807 square feet (75 square meters) of space, nearly three times the interior space of competing models with similar range capability. The BBJ 2 offers 25 percent more cabin space and twice as much cargo capacity.
There are currently 86 BBJs in service around the world. The fleet has generated more than 199,100 flight hours to date and 81,000 flights, with an industry-leading 99.9 percent dispatch reliability. For more about the BBJ, visit http://www.boeing.com/commercia