Boeing

The South African Air Force marked the delivery of its first Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) with a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 26 at Boeing Field in Seattle. (From left) Lee Monson, Boeing Business Jets president, George Van Niekerk, South African Air Force brigadier general, and Rodney Jubber, manager aircraft programmes at Armaments Corporation of South Africa Ltd. (ARMSCOR), participated in the ceremony. ARMSCOR, acting on behalf of the military, purchased the BBJ, which will be used for intercontinental VIP transport in the South African Air Force fleet. Boeing Business Jets is a joint venture with General Electric launched in July 1996 to respond to market demand for a larger, more capable business airplane that can fly more than 6,000 nautical miles (11,110 kilometers). Since the program's inception, Boeing has delivered 59 green BBJs. There currently are 33 completed BBJs in service.