BBJ Touts Orders and Showcases New Demonstrator

Boeing Business Jets (BBJ, Booth M73) continues to add to its backlog, and has now received orders for seven of its eponymous executive configured airliners this year, BBJ president Greg Laxton announced here at EBACE. “We are thrilled to be off to a really strong start to 2017,” said Laxton, who added, “There’s real demand for the full range of [BBJ] products,” including it’s large-body bizliners.

The orders include four head-of-state aircraft for European government customers (three BBJ2s for Poland and one BBJ for the Netherlands) and three for undisclosed customers. The company also unveiled here a new BBJ demonstrator, on view at the static display area, and an interior design concept for the forthcoming BBJ MAX7, created by Alberto Pinto Design.

The BBJ demonstrator, completed by Amac Aerospace (Booth K121), features multiple workspaces, large dining areas and ample space for rest and relaxation. The interior weighs 16,000 pounds, said Charles Colburn, BBJ marketing director, in the mid-range of the 10,000- to 21,000-pound total weights of BBJ interiors.

The BBJ MAX 7, compared to the current BBJ, will offer “a more capable platform, more cabin space, and a range up to 7,000 nautical miles, while lowering the cost per hour to fly,” Laxton said. But the MAX 7 won’t be certified until 2021, following certification of the larger BBJ Max 8 (with deliveries commencing in 2018) and Max 9. In the interim, the next delivery position available for the current generation BBJ is the 4th quarter of 2018, while the first available slot for a Max is in 2021.

BBJ also announced taking 36 orders this year for military derivative aircraft, including the 737-based P-8 and the 767-based KC-46 tanker. “The military derivative side of our business is increasingly a large segment of our business,” said Laxton. “We have seen a sharp increase in sales in the past five years, and that is simply due to the strength of our products.”