Boeing

Boeing Business Jets today announced it has sold 71 airplanes since it was launched as a joint venture between The Boeing Company and General Electric in 1996.

As of October 2000, cumulative "green" (no interior or paint) BBJ deliveries stand at 46. Of these, 17 are fully completed and in-service. These airplanes have generated 4,487 flight hours to date and 2,094 cycles, with 99.9 percent reliability and no major technical issues reported.

Boeing Business Jets President Borge Boeskov made the announcement at the annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention in New Orleans, where a winglet-equipped BBJ is on static display. Boeing Business Jets announces sales once a year at the NBAA convention.

"Our success in the market has exceeded expectations and the future looks even better," Boeskov said. "We see continued strong demand with much of the growth coming from our next generation BBJ 2, an airplane developed in direct response to customer needs. With the BBJ and BBJ 2 we're redefining the world of business aviation."

Designed for corporate and VIP applications, the BBJ is a special, high-performance derivative of the Next-Generation 737-700. The addition of auxiliary fuel tanks provides owners with a business jet platform having a maximum range capability of 7,130 statue miles (6,200 nautical miles, 11,482 kilometers), while requiring less than 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) of runway.

With cruising speeds of up to .82 Mach - equivalent to a ground speed of 550 miles per hour - the BBJ can serve such routes as Los Angeles to London or Paris, New York to Buenos Aires or London to Johannesburg. The same CFM56-7 engines used on the Next-Generation 737 commercial airplanes power the BBJ.

The BBJ 2, announced in October 1999, is based on the 737-800. It has 25 percent more interior space and 100 percent more luggage space than the BBJ. Production of the first BBJ 2 began in September, with first "green" delivery scheduled for early 2001.

Both the BBJ and the BBJ 2 are equipped with Aviation Partners winglets as standard equipment. Two airplanes recently have entered service with the blended winglets, which were certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration last month. The BBJ and BBJ 2 provide unsurpassed levels of space, comfort and utility and are backed by a top-notch product support program with dedicated field service representatives around the world.

Photos available on the Boeing Media website.