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Boeing Business Jet Gains Customers In Both
Private & Government Sectors
While sales have not
reached the giddy heights of 1999, when the Boeing Business Jet
racked up orders that turned the heads of everyone in the business
jet market, the program has progressed steadily in its efforts to
put additional aircraft into service.
While Boeing does not release new orders often (the total stood
at 71 as of last October), it has updated some figures. Through
second quarter 2001, Boeing Business Jets has manufactured 59 "green"
aircraft, including the two Boeing-owned BBJs and NetJets BBJs.
Thirty-six completed airplanes were in service at the end of July.
"Green" deliveries of BBJs totaled eight in 1998, 29 in
1999, 14 in 2000, five in first quarter 2001 (one U.S., four international),
and three in second quarter 2001 (one U.S., two international.
Fleet hours year-to-date stand at 15,000, and fleet cycles are 6,550.
Boeing reports 99% reliability and no major technical issues.
The first three BBJs in the Executive Jet NetJets fractional ownership
program have entered service. Four additional airplanes will follow
by the end of the year.
The BBJ sales demonstrator will be on static display in Dubai (November
4-8).
The second BBJ demonstrator is currently being completed at Jet
Aviation in Basel, Switzerland, and should be ready by the fall.
In its latest announced delivery, Boeing Business Jets delivered
a BBJ to the South African Air Force this past summer. Armaments
Corporation of South Africa (ARMSCOR), acting on behalf of the military,
purchased the BBJ, which will be used for intercontinental VIP transport
in the SAAF fleet. This will be the first BBJ based in South Africa.
At about the same time, Boeing Business Jets today delivered a "green"
BBJ to Grupo Omnilife S.A. de C.V. of Mexico. The BBJ will be incorporated
into the company's existing fleet and managed by subsidiary Omniflys.
The Grupo Omnilife BBJ will be completed at Associated Air Center
in Dallas and should enter service in the first quarter of 2002.
With those two sales to Latin America and South Africa, BBJs are
based on six continents.
Also earlier this year, two BBJs destined for the Ford Motor Company
left Paine Field in Everett, WA, for Europe, where they are now
in service. The UK-based airplanes fly on scheduled service between
various Ford locations throughout Europe.
On the maintenance side, Delta Air Lines' Technical Operations division
will provide inventory support, component maintenance and engineering
services for 29 BBJs that will be part of the NetJets fleet. NetJets
has ordered 15 BBJs with options for 14 more. Annual deliveries
of BBJs into the NetJets fleet will run from 2001 to 2006, with
Delta contracting to provide maintenance support to each aircraft
for 10 years from its delivery to NetJets.
Boeing Business Jets also recently signed a service contract with
the DeCrane Aircraft Systems Integration Group (PATS) in Georgetown,
DE. Able to perform warranty work on behalf of Boeing on the BBJ,
DeCrane will be designated as a BBJ Authorized Warranty Repair Facility
and BBJ Factory Authorized Service Center.
DeCrane has been installing the auxiliary fuel systems and other
related modifications, including winglets, on the BBJ for the past
two years. Eight in-service BBJs already have come through DeCrane
for maintenance, modifications or support services.
-Barry Rosenberg
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