Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) are versions of
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
's
jet airliners
A jet airliner or jetliner is an airliner powered by jet engines (passenger jet aircraft). Airliners usually have two or four jet engines; three-engined designs were popular in the 1970s but are less common today. Airliners are commonly cl ...
with modifications to serve the private, head of state and
corporate jet
A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people. Business jets may be adapted for other roles, such as the evacuation of casualties or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by pu ...
market. In 1996, Phil Condit, president of The Boeing Company, and Jack Welch, chairman and CEO of General Electric, sketched out their ideal business jet– a high-performance derivative of the
737 Next Generation, capable of flying more than 6,000 nautical miles nonstop and offering more cabin space than traditional long-range business jets. The first BBJ, based on the 737-700, rolled out on July 26, 1998 and had its first flight Sept. 4, 1998.
Boeing expanded the BBJ brand to include configurations based on the
737 MAX
The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, a narrow-body airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), a division of American company Boeing. It succeeds the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) and competes with th ...
, 777,
777X
The Boeing 777X is the latest series of the long-range, wide-body, twin-engine jetliners in the Boeing 777 family from Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The 777X features new GE9X engines, new composite wings with folding wingtips, greater cabin w ...
,
787 Dreamliner and
747-8 Intercontinental, which are known as BBJ 737 MAX, BBJ 777, BBJ 777X, BBJ 787, and BBJ 747-8, respectively. Boeing currently produces the BBJ 737-7, BBJ 737-8, BBJ 737-9, BBJ 787-8, and BBJ 787-9. The BBJ 777X will be available once it is certified by the FAA.
Sought by VVIP customers and heads of state alike, BBJs are uniquely customized for each owner: private, business or government. Since its introduction as a separate group, Boeing Business Jets has delivered over 250 airplanes on more than 260 orders.
BBJs typically seat between 19 and 50 passengers with bespoke configurations that often include master bedrooms, washrooms with full-sized showers, conference and dining areas, living areas, a fitness center and more. All models of BBJs are delivered by Boeing in a "green" condition, meaning there are no interior furnishings so that the owner can design it to personal preference.
After the launch of the BBJ,
Airbus
Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European Multinational corporation, multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace manufacturer, aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft througho ...
followed suit with the launch of the
Airbus ACJ
Airbus Corporate Jets, a business unit of Airbus SAS and part of Airbus, markets and completes corporate jet variants from the parent's airliner range. Types include the A318 Elite to the double/triple-decked Airbus A380 Prestige. Following the ...
derived from its
A319 airliner, then the larger A320 and the smaller
A318 Elite. Other smaller competitors include the
Embraer Lineage
The Embraer Lineage 1000 is a variant of the Embraer 190 regional jet airliner, launched as a private jet on May 2, 2006. Manufactured by the Brazilian aerospace firm Embraer, the Lineage is advertised as an "ultra-large" business jet with comfo ...
, the
Bombardier Global Express
The Bombardier Global Express is a large cabin, 6,000 nmi / 11,100 km range business jet designed and manufactured by Bombardier Aviation (formerly Bombardier Aerospace).
Announced in October 1991, it first flew on 13 October 1996, receiv ...
, the
Gulfstream G550
The Gulfstream G550 is a business jet aircraft produced by General Dynamics' Gulfstream Aerospace unit in Savannah, Georgia, US. The certification designation is GV-SP. A version with reduced fuel capacity was marketed as the G500. Gulfstream ...
and the
Gulfstream G650
The Gulfstream G650 is a large business jet produced by Gulfstream Aerospace. .
Models
Current production models
Narrow body
The primary product offered by Boeing Business Jets is the BBJ 737 MAX family. Launch was announced on April 2, 2014 and first delivery occurred on October 15, 2018. The BBJ MAX replaces and improves upon the original BBJ 737 family. It features lower cabin altitude for enhanced passenger comfort, new CFM LEAP-1B engines, improved aerodynamics, and advanced systems to deliver a 15% reduction in fuel consumption with increased range over the original BBJ family.
The BBJ MAX is based upon the Boeing 737 MAX family of aircraft. Unlike most commercial 737s, the BBJ MAX has integrated airstairs to allow independent operations at remote airfields. BBJ MAX aircraft also come with equipped with all of the optional systems and features available on the commercial 737, as well as the highest takeoff weight and maximum engine thrust. Another key difference is the installation of auxiliary fuel tanks in the cargo compartment to achieve ranges in excess of 6,000 nmi (11,110 km), and a low cabin altitude system. The latter maintains a maximum cabin altitude of 6,500 even at the maximum cruise altitude of 41,000 ft, to improve passenger comfort and well-being.
The BBJ MAX benefits from its commercial roots. Direct operating costs are estimated at $5,200 to $5,600 per hour – significantly lower than purpose-built business jets. This efficiency is partly enabled by a low utilization maintenance program (known as LUMP), which stretches out the maintenance intervals for BBJ operators – major checks occurring every 4 years, and heavy checks only once every 12 years.
* BBJ 737-7 (BBJ MAX 7) is a variant of
Boeing 737 MAX
The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, a narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), a division of American company Boeing. It succeeds the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG ...
7. It is 6 ft 4 in (1.93m) longer than the original BBJ1 and features a range of 6,600 nmi (12,225 km), which is 445 nmi (825 km) further than the BBJ1. The 737-7 is currently undergoing certification.
* BBJ 737-8 (BBJ MAX 8) is a variant of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. It first flew on April 16, 2018, and was first delivered in October of that year. The middle member of the family, it offers a strong combination of size and range.
* BBJ 737-9 (BBJ MAX 9) is a variant of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 and is the largest member of the BBJ MAX family, offering a cabin floor area of 1,120 sq ft (104.1 m
2). The first BBJ 737-9 was delivered green on August 18, 2021.
In 2021, the equipped price of the BBJ MAX 7 was $98.3M, $107.3M for the MAX 8 and $115.2M for the MAX 9.
= Specifications
=
Wide Body
Based on Boeing's commercial 787 Dreamliner, the BBJ 787 is a successful business jet featuring a composite airframe and low cabin altitude system. It is partnered with the largest passenger and business aviation aircraft currently produced, the 777X. The BBJ 777X was announced on Dec. 10, 2018, and it will have the capability to fly more than halfway around the world without stopping, farther than any business jet ever built.
BBJ
787
787 may refer to:
* Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a jet airliner
* AD 787, a year
* 787 BC, a year
* Mazda 787/787B, a Japanese rotary-engine race car which won the 1991 Le Mans Race
* Porsche 787, a race car from the 1960s
* 787 series, a train model o ...
Family: Based on the successful Boeing 787 Dreamliner family, the BBJ 787−8 and the BBJ 787-9 are long range aircraft, with ranges of 9,960 and 9,475 nmi (18,445 and 17,550 km), respectively, with 25 passengers. Eighteen were ordered through September 2022 with 16 delivered.
BBJ
777X
The Boeing 777X is the latest series of the long-range, wide-body, twin-engine jetliners in the Boeing 777 family from Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The 777X features new GE9X engines, new composite wings with folding wingtips, greater cabin w ...
Family: Boeing launched BBJ variants of the 777X at the
Middle East Business Aviation Association
Middle East Business Aviation Association or MEBAA, is a non-profit corporation based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simp ...
Show in December 2018. The BBJ 777-8 and 777-9 will have ranges of 11,835 and 11,330 nmi (21,920 and 20,985 km), respectively, with 25 passengers. Now the largest business jets in the world, these aircraft have cabin areas of 3,256 and 3,689 sq. ft. (302.5 and 342.7 sq m) cabin. The cabin area of the 777-9 is larger than the main deck of a 747-400, and will be 30% cheaper to operate per hour. The 777X is currently undergoing certification before entry-into-service.
= Specifications
=
Out-of-production models
Narrow-body
The first BBJ (often referred to as “BBJ” or “BBJ1”) was based on the
737-700
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boeing ...
with a stronger wing and landing gear from the
737-800
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boeing ...
. It offered up to nine auxiliary belly fuel tanks to extend the aircraft's range to over 6,000
nautical miles
A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today t ...
(11,000 km).
Aviation Partners
Aviation Partners Inc. (API) is a Seattle-based private corporation that specializes in performance-enhancing winglet systems. The corporation was founded in 1991 and is owned by The Washington Companies.
History
API was founded in 1991 by Joe Cl ...
winglets became standard on the BBJ, giving it a 5% range boost.
In 2002, the BBJ2, based on the 737-800, was introduced, offering a 25% longer cabin with a similar range with five tanks. In 2009, the BBJ3 was introduced based on the even longer
737-900
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...
.
During its 20 years of production, 150 BBJs entered service, triple the initial forecast of 50. Boeing delivered the last BBJ based on the 737NG in 2021.
* BBJ (retroactively referred to as the BBJ1) was based on the 737-700, and formed the basis for the 737-700ER. This was the initial, and most popular variant.
* BBJ2 was based on the 737-800.
* BBJ3 was based on the 737-900ER.
* BBJ C was based on the 737-700C. This aircraft features the ability to "quick change" between a configuration for VIP passengers and for cargo. In
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
service, this is known as the
C-40A Clipper.
Wide-body
Boeing previously offered BBJs based on the 747-8 Intercontinental, the final model of the venerable 747 family, and BBJs based on the 777 aircraft.
* BBJ
747: The largest business jet ever produced, it offered over 4,700 sq ft (440 m
2) of cabin area, across the main and upper decks. It had a range of 8,875 nmi (16,436 km) with 100 passengers, 17 were ordered through September 2022, all delivered.
* BBJ
777
777 may refer to:
* 777 (number), a number
* AD 777, a year of the Julian calendar
* 777 BC, a year in the 8th century BC
* Boeing 777, a commercial jet airliner
:* Boeing 777X, the newer generation of the Boeing 777.
Art and entertainment Alb ...
: The BBJ 777-200LR and BBJ 777-300ER, based on the commercial 777s of those variants, were offered prior to the introduction of the BBJ 777X family. They offered ranges of 10,030 and 9,300 nmi (18,580 and 17,220 km) with 75 passengers, respectively. Seventeen were ordered, and all have been delivered.
Operators
Private
BBJs were initially operated by Fortune 100 companies like
Aramco
Saudi Aramco ( ar, أرامكو السعودية '), officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (formerly Arabian-American Oil Company) or simply Aramco, is a Saudi Arabian public petroleum and natural gas company based in Dhahran. , it is one of ...
and
Tracinda
Tracinda Corporation is an American private investment corporation that was owned by the late Kirk Kerkorian. Its major investments included a minority interest of MGM Resorts International. Tracinda is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. Th ...
;
NetJets
NetJets Inc. is an American company that sells fractional ownership shares in private business jets.
Founded as Executive Jet Airways in 1964, it was later renamed Executive Jet Aviation. NetJets became the first private business jet chart ...
, casinos like the
Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands Corporation is an American casino and resort company with corporate headquarters in Paradise, Nevada, United States. Its corporate mission is to create "Integrated Resorts" which feature a combination of gambling, accommodation, ...
, but the 2008 recession put ultra large jets under scrutiny and were divested by many companies including
The Limited
The Limited was an American clothing retailer that operated retail stores between the early 1960s and the late 2010s. After 2007, it became a brand, originally owned by the private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, now owned by another private equ ...
,
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
, and
Occidental Petroleum
Occidental Petroleum Corporation (often abbreviated Oxy in reference to its ticker symbol and logo) is an American company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration in the United States, and the Middle East as well as petrochemical manufacturing in the ...
. Similarly,
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, s ...
's
anti-corruption campaign reduced
conspicuous consumption
In sociology and in economics, the term conspicuous consumption describes and explains the consumer practice of buying and using goods of a higher quality, price, or in greater quantity than practical. In 1899, the sociologist Thorstein Veblen co ...
of private jets in China.
BBJs are now operated by private firms and individuals: Fresno's
Assemi Group, Miami's
Crescent Heights, Wichita's
Town & Country Food Market,
Funair Corp., toymaker
Ty Inc.
Ty (stylized as ty) is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It was founded by Ty Warner in 1986. It designs, develops and sells products, most notably Beanie Babies, exclusively to spec ...
,
Fortress Transportation & Instructure,
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg (; born December 21, 1950) is an American filmmaker, animator, and media proprietor. He became well known for his tenure as chairman of Walt Disney Studios from 1984 to 1994. After departing Disney, he was a co-founder and C ...
,
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (19 ...
,
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...
,
Washington Corp.,
Tutor Saliba
Tutor Perini Corporation (formerly Perini Corporation) is one of the largest general contractors in the United States. At the end of 2013, it reported annual revenue of approximately $4.2 billion. Tutor Perini is headquartered in Sylmar, Cal ...
or pachinko king
Hideyuki Busujima
Hideyuki Busujima (born 1952/1953) is a Japanese billionaire businessman, and the chairman and CEO of Sankyo, the pachinko machine company founded by his father Kunio Busujima.
Hideyuki Busujima is the son of Kunio Busujima, who died in Octob ...
, with many registrations hiding their owners’ identities.
State VIP users
Most BBJs are operated by governments for
VIP
A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots.
Examples inc ...
transport in U.S., Australia and Africa, plus Colombia, Turkey, India,
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, Jordan, Malaysia, South Africa and Tunisia; or
Middle East oil barons like Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Saudi Arabia royalty.
[
]
Orders and deliveries
See also
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boeing Business Jets
Business Jet
A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people. Business jets may be adapted for other roles, such as the evacuation of casualties or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by pub ...
United States business aircraft
Boeing 737
Boeing 747
Boeing 777
Boeing 787 Dreamliner