Boeing Business Jets | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Business jet |
Manufacturer | Boeing Commercial Airplanes |
Designer | Borge Boeskov |
Status | In service |
Number built | +250 (as of December 31, 2021)[1] |
History | |
Manufactured | 1998–present |
Introduction date | 1999 |
First flight | September 4, 1998 |
A Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) is a version of a Boeing jet airliner with modifications to serve the private, head of state, and corporate jet market. The first BBJ, based on the 737-700, rolled out on July 26, 1998; and had its first flight on September 4, 1998. The BBJ name later came to represent any Boeing aircraft modified to serve in a business jet role.
The first BBJ (later renamed the BBJ1) was first designed in 1996 as a high-performance derivative of the Boeing 737 Next Generation by Borge Boeskov, at the request of Phil Condit, president of Boeing, and Jack Welch, chairman and CEO of General Electric.[2] Since its introduction, over 260 BBJs have been delivered.
Boeing expanded the BBJ brand to include configurations based on the 737 MAX, 777, 777X, 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 MAX and BBJ 787.
After the launch of the BBJ, Airbus followed suit with the launch of the Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) program. Other smaller competitors include the Embraer Lineage, the Bombardier Global Express, the Gulfstream G550 and the Gulfstream G650.