Airbus, Boeing Business Aircraft Share Space at Show

For the first time ever, the two major entries in the battle for the biggest-business-jet market each have samples of their product on site at the major international air show of the year.

Two Airbus Corporate Jets and a Boeing Business Jet are on static display at the Paris Air Show. Each gets the velvet-rope, VIP-only treatment, and each will be the subject of much pointing and envy.

And, as is usually the case, when Boeing and Airbus are chasing the same market, the competition is fierce.

Boeing has sold 64 BBJs and seven of its follow-on BBJ-2s; Airbus has sold 26. Easy enough. Get a bit further in and the disagreements begin.

"We've delivered 57 green airplanes," says Lee Monson, VP of sales for Boeing Business Jets. "By year-end, we'll deliver three more."

"We don't count deliveries until the customer pays for the plane and flies it away," counters Airbus spokesman David Vellupillai, saying that the company has delivered eight aircraft so far, and two more-those on display here at the show-will enter service soon.

Even counting that way, Boeing, which beat Airbus to the market with its corporate product by a year or so, holds a steady lead in market share: 32 BBJs and BBJ-2s are in service.

Referring to problems Boeing has had with some of its completion centers-most notably Raytheon and The Jet Center at Santa Barbara, California.-in turning out completed BBJs on time, Vellupillai says, "We don't think we should count aircraft as delivered when they're sitting on the tarmac for nine months."

Monson acknowledged Boeing's early completion problems, but claims, "That's an early challenge that's being resolved. Those of our completion centers who worked with big aircraft previously did them on time from the start. And Raytheon's made a turnaround and The Jet Center is starting to improve."

Boeing pulled those aircraft sold to the Boeing NetJets fractional ownership operation from a completion contract with Raytheon, and is sending them to Lufthansa Technik, which is promising six-month turnarounds for the job.

Among the market advantages Monson claims for BBJ is that it is sold through a separate subsidiary company. "We've been doing this business longer," he says, "and we've tried to address our customers' needs as a separate entity. Support, sales and marketing are specifically dedicated to the market."

Another advantage, he claims, is that Boeing is "much more flexible with interiors and what the customer can do. We don't restrict them."

Airbus offers six modular configurations. Vellupillai contends that customers choosing the modules don't get less freedom, but rather more up-front knowledge. "This way, you get the specifications, weight, operating costs all up front," he says.

By Jim Proulx