Boeing Business Jets.
Boeing
- Boeing Business Jets celebrated its 25-year anniversary in July, having dreamt up the first BBJ concept in 1996.
- The program targeted a niche market of ultra-wealthy customers who wanted bigger, more comfortable bizjets.
- Boeing has added many aircraft types to the BBJ line, like the 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner, 777, and the 747-8.
2021 marks the 25-year anniversary of Boeing Business Jets, which launched in 1996. The company has a long history of manufacturing aircraft for both commercial and private use but eventually combined the two products into an official line of bizjets.
Boeing
Source: Boeing spokesperson
While the official BBJ brand launched in the 1990s, it was not the first private plane the company built for executive flying.
Jet Edge International
Source: Boeing spokesperson
In 1930, Standard Oil of California, now known as Chevron, ordered a specially modified three-engine Model 80A, or Model 226, to fly its executives from city to city. The Model 80 was Boeing’s first plane engineered for passenger operations.
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Source: Museum of Flight, Boeing spokesperson
According to Boeing, the Model 80A was successful because it got its private passengers to their destinations quicker than by train without sacrificing comfort.
National Library of France
Source: Boeing spokesperson
In 1943, Boeing’s Model 314 aircraft played a significant role for the US government. The plane operated as a private service to shuttle President Franklin D. Roosevelt to meet with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the Casablanca conference.
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Source: Boeing spokesperson
The flight pre-dated the “Air Force One” call sign and was the first time a sitting president flew on an airplane.
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Source: Boeing spokesperson
President Eisenhower also had private planes manufactured by Boeing at his disposal. Specifically, he had three VC-137s, the Air Force derivative of the 707, and was the first to use the “Air Force One” call sign.
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Source: Air and Space, Boeing spokesperson
Boeing also developed the VIP VC-137C, which was the first jet aircraft built for presidential use. The plane was a highly-modified 707-320B airliner and carried eight presidents, like John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter. The most famous was SAM 26000.
US Air Force
Source: US Air Force
One of the most impressive converted Boeing private jets was the Qatari Royal Family’s lavish Boeing 747-SP. It featured a dining room, a master bedroom and bathroom, a spiral staircase, business class seats, and an economy cabin.
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Source: Sam Chui
According to Boeing, over the years, the company’s private planes have been referred to as the “flying penthouse,” the “apartment in the sky,” and the “flying business offices.”
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Source: Boeing spokesperson
After nearly 70 years of converting airliners into business jets for companies, government departments, and private individuals, Boeing decided to create a series of large, customizable planes for the corporate market.
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Source: Boeing spokesperson
The first Boeing Business Jet concepts were imagined in 1996 by Phil Condit, president of Boeing, and Jack Welch, chairman and CEO of General Electric as a joint venture project. Their first proposal was based on the Next-Generation 737-700 jet.
Boeing
Source: Boeing
The plane could fly over 7,000 miles nonstop, connecting cities like New York to Tokyo and London to Johannesburg, and offered ample cabin space.
Boeing
Source: Jet Options
According to Boeing, Condit was passionate about the idea because he saw a promising market for customers who may want a bigger, more comfortable private jet.
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Source: Boeing spokesperson
The program officially launched on July 2, 1996, and the first BBJ 737-700 aircraft rolled out of production on July 26, 1998.
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Source: Boeing
The plane took its first flight on September 4, 1998, captained by Mike Hewett and Mike Carriker. The 737 took off at 9:12 a.m. from Renton, Washington.
Boeing
Source: Boeing
The plane was used as a demonstrator aircraft and was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration and Europe’s Joint Aviation Authorities on October 30, 1998.
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Source: Boeing spokesperson
The first two BBJ 737s were delivered the week of November 23, 1998, with one going to General Electric and the other going to an undisclosed buyer.
Boeing
Source: Boeing
From the beginning, BBJs have included integrated air stairs that allow the plane to access airfields that lack ground support equipment. Moreover, the 737 can operate at small airports with short runways.
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Source: Boeing spokesperson
The original BBJ was based on the 737-700, but Boeing created more variants based on its later 737 planes.
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Source: Aerospace Technology
The BBJ2, which is derived from the Boeing 737-800, was launched in 1999. It added 25% more cabin space and 100% more cargo capacity compared to the BBJ1. The first BBJ2 was delivered in March 2001.
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In November 2005, BBJ3 was revealed. The plane was based on the 737-900ER, offering 35% more cabin space than BBJ1 and 11% more cargo capacity than BBJ2.
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Source: Aerospace Technology, Global Air
In 2014, Boeing launched the Boeing MAX bizjet family, which offered lower cabin altitude, advanced fuel-saving systems, and enhanced passenger comfort.
Boeing
Source: Boeing
The MAX family includes the BBJ MAX 7, BBJ MAX 8, and BBJ MAX 9.
Boeing
Source: Boeing
The first delivery was a BBJ MAX 8, which operated its first “flyaway” in April 2018 and was delivered in October 2018. The plane is fitted with an external fuel tank, allowing it to fly over 7,600 miles.
Boeing
Source: Boeing
In addition to narrowbody planes, Boeing also created widebody bizjets, including The BBJ 777 and 777X that can connect virtually any two cities worldwide…
Boeing
Source: Ainonline
The BBJ 787-8 and BBJ 787-9 Dreamliners…
Boeing
Source: Boeing
And the BBJ 747-8, which is the world’s largest private jet.
Cabinet Alberto Pinto
Source: Insider
The planes come with several unique interior options that are created in partnership with Boeing and design companies, which can be customized by the buyer. Some options include Mark Berryman’s yacht concept for the BBJ MAX…
Boeing
Boeing teamed up with a yacht interior design company to create a private jet cabin for the 737 MAX — see inside
The sky-inspired Genesis concept from SkyStyle and KiPcreating for the BBJ MAX…
Courtesy of Boeing/SkyStyle & KiPcreating
This Boeing 737 Max private jet interior design looks more like a futuristic spaceship than it does a private jet
The Lotus concept from Greenpoint Technologies for the BBJ 777X…
Greenpoint Technologies
Boeing’s new $400 million 777X private airliner is a flying mansion that can go halfway around the world
And the Cabinet Alberto Pinto design for the BBJ 747-8.
Cabinet Alberto Pinto
See inside the world’s largest private jet: a Boeing 747 with an interior so large it took 4 years to design and build
Boeing has solidified 260 orders of its BBJs to date, having sold to a small market of deep-pocket individuals, royal families, as well as government entities worldwide.
Boeing
Source: Aviation Pros, Simple Flying
Customers include people like Tony Robbins, a motivational speaker in the US…
Silver Air
Source: Simple Flying, An airline is offering Tony Robbins’ Boeing 737 private jet featuring an onboard shower for charter. Take a look inside.
And the Dutch royal family.
Patrick van Katwijk/Getty
See inside the ‘Dutch Air Force One’: a Boeing 737 private jet that the king of the Netherlands flies himself
These ultra-rich buyers are taking a new interest in BBJs as travel restrictions ease, with Boeing receiving a new order of its BBJ 737-800 this year.
Jet Edge International
Source: AOPA, Ultra-wealthy travelers are ditching traditional private jets and buying airliners. See inside 2 airliner-turned-private-jets from Airbus and Boeing.
According to BBJ, business aviation traffic is up 15% compared to 2019, with first-time buyers fueling the demand.
Boeing
Source: AOPA
“Private aviation is attracting those who have previously flown first or business class,” BBJ director of marketing Alex Fecteau told AOPA. “More than 30 percent of our new orders are from first-time buyers.”
Boeing
Source: AOPA