GENEVA, May 17, 2005 -- Boeing [NYSE] Business Jets today announced rapid progress toward achieving what no other ultra-large-cabin, long-range business jet manufacturer has accomplished -- selling 100 business jets.
BBJ continues to lead in that market by outselling its nearest competitor by a factor of 4 to 1. Since its inception in 1996, BBJ has won orders and commitments for 97 airplanes, winning six within the past six months.
"The interest and orders for the BBJ continues to grow. We're confident that the record sales pace will continue and that we will achieve 100 orders before the end of this year," BBJ President Steven Hill said during a media briefing at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland. "The size, comfort and reliability of the BBJ exactly suit the needs of those who travel around the globe for business or pleasure."
The latest orders and commitments for four BBJs and two BBJ2s came from customers in the Middle East region, the United States and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Fifty-seven customers have ordered 83 BBJs and 14 BBJ2s. About 40 percent of BBJ customers are private individuals, 38 percent are government heads of state, and the remaining customer segment is divided between corporate and charter operators.
The BBJ and BBJ2 are high-performance derivatives of the commercially popular Next-Generation 737-700 and 737-800, respectively. Providing unsurpassed levels of space, comfort and utility, the BBJ cabin offers 807 square feet (75 square meters) of space, nearly three times the interior space of competing models with similar range capability. The BBJ2 offers 25 percent more cabin space and twice as much cargo capacity as the BBJ.
There are currently 81 BBJs in service around the world. The fleet has generated more than 140,000 flight hours to date and 56,256 flights, with an industry-leading 99.9 percent dispatch reliability.