No Orders Yet, but 717 Could Still Become a Coup
Boeing introduced its new support package for the Boeing 717
Business Express at the National Business Aviation Association's
56th Annual Meeting & Convention, just a day after the BBJ team
told us reporters that there were no orders yet for the 717 as a
business jet. While the BBJ team has a lot invested in the 83
(737-based) BBJs and (including eight BBJ2s) already sold, the
0-backlog position the BBJ group is holding, while great for
customers, isn't ideal for the company. Thus, the 717 idea keeps
getting enhanced.
The 717 Business Express support package includes a
comprehensive array of turnkey products and services, including
maintenance plans and engineering services, operational tools that
support self-dispatch, and a selection of parts and tools. Support
continues with both flight and technical personnel onsite to assist
the corporate operator as they gain experience with their new
airplane and includes an enhanced warranty.
Included is a portable computer, fully configured with the
Boeing Laptop Tool software, operational performance software, a
suite of maintenance and operations documentation, and ready access
to myboeingfleet.com.
In so many ways, it's the ideal vehicle.
The 717 Business Express was introduced earlier this year as a
new concept for corporations to help deal with high-volume business
travel, providing corporate employees with more productive space
and improved use of travel time compared to typical commercial
business travel. The airplane can be configured to seat from 40 to
80 passengers in first- and/or business-class comfort.
"Our paramount goal is
to ensure the safe, economical and reliable introduction of this
new airplane into the corporate fleet with continued reliability
through our comprehensive support network," said Tom Lindberg, vice
president, Sales -- Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We want to make
the introduction of the Boeing 717 as simple as possible, with
flexibility to support a wide variety of corporate customers with
different skills and infrastructure requirements."
From delivery day forward, each 717 Business Express customer
has the support of Boeing’s worldwide network of field
service representatives and spares distribution centers -- more
than 250 technical representatives in over 60 countries
worldwide.
In addition, the operator can rely on the Boeing EXPRESS support
program, which operates around-the-clock, 365 days per year, and
provides technical support when needed. Skilled engineers,
technicians and mechanics are no more than a phone call away.
In addition to providing a more productive and secure traveling
environment for employees, the 717 Business Express can save
significant time in the travel process, reducing many of the hard
costs of air travel -- air fare, hotels, food and entertainment --
as well as the 'soft' costs -- time spent in transit, at terminals,
waiting at the gate, delays at baggage claim and waiting to get a
taxi or rental car.