Boeing: 'We Are Honored That An Existing BBJ Customer Has Become The First To Select The BBJ MAX'

Boeing announced the launch of the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) MAX family of airplanes after receiving the first order from an undisclosed customer. The order is for a BBJ MAX 8, which is based on the 737 MAX 8 and the newest business jet to join the BBJ family.

With new CFM International LEAP-1B engines and other aerodynamic improvements including Advanced Technology winglets, the 737 MAX will provide a 14 percent fuel-use improvement compared to today's most efficient single-aisle airplanes. The fuel-use improvement is even greater at longer ranges typically flown by BBJ customers.

The BBJ MAX 8 will have a range of 6,325 nautical miles, an increase of more than 800 nautical miles over the BBJ2. It will share the same cabin size with today's BBJ2, offering customers a 19-foot longer cabin and three times the cargo space of today's BBJ.

The new BBJ family also will include the BBJ MAX 9, based on the 737 MAX 9, and is expected to offer a 6,255 nautical mile range with an even larger cabin than the BBJ MAX 8. Plans for a BBJ MAX 7 are still being studied. "We expect a large demand for the BBJ MAX, particularly for those BBJ owners who want to fly farther and more efficiently and still maintain the exceptional comfort of a BBJ," Taylor said.

Development of the 737 MAX is on schedule with firm configuration of the airplane achieved in July 2013. First flight is scheduled in 2016 with deliveries to commercial airline customers beginning in 2017.

(Image provided by Boeing)

FMI: www.newairplane.com