Boeing Business Jet Backlog Busted, But BBJ Business
Base Broadened
With 68 aircraft in service and a further 15 in completion
centers, Boeing Business Jets has temporarily exhausted its backlog
following the recent stagnation of orders, ruefully admitted president
Lee Monson, at a pre-show interview. Of those in service, six
are the longer-fuselage BBJ2 (two more of which are outfitting),
the combined fleet serving 51 operators throughout the world.
Having 40% of the total, U.S. operators predominate, the next
most significant region being the Middle East with 25%. A forthcoming
improvement, available to customers and retrofittable, is due
in the first quarter of next year in the form of a lowered, 6,500-ft,
cabin equivalent altitude. All is not gloom at BBJ, however, as
Monson has recently noted first signs of a market upturn.
