RENTON – On Monday, the Boeing Co. launched its latest luxury line with two orders for its Boeing Business Jet 3.
“This has been a remarkable year for the BBJ,” said Steven Hill, president of Boeing Business Jets.
Hill announced the orders, which were placed by unidentified customers, at a briefing during the National Business Aviation Association Convention and Exhibition in Orlando, Fla. The BBJ 3 joins its two predecessors in a family based on the 737 aircraft built in Renton.
In the past year, Boeing has received 12 requests for business jets, boosting its total business jet sales over the past decade to 114 airplanes. The company has delivered 99 of those jets.
In July 1996, Boeing and General Electric started Boeing Business Jets, a product line geared toward private owners, heads of state, corporate leaders and charter companies.
The jetmaker began floating the idea of crafting a new business jet just before Christmas last year. Boeing based its third business jet on the design of its 737-900 Extended Range commercial plane. The 737-900 ER was designed to carry up to 215 passengers on routes that connect cities such as Seattle and Orlando or San Francisco and Boston. Boeing will deliver the first commercial 737-900 ER to Lion Air during the first half of 2007.
Those interested in the business jet version can enjoy a variety of interior configurations, which include a master suite, a lounge and a dining room. Buyers can add up to eight extra fuel tanks to give the aircraft a range of up to 5,475 nautical miles.
The new BBJ 3 is the largest BBJ family member and offers 1,120 square feet of cabin space, 35 percent more than the original BBJ, which is derived from the 737-700, and 11 percent more than the BBJ 2, which is based on the 737-800.
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