A Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) has made its first appearance at the 2003 Moscow Air Show in Zhukovsky. “We’re excited to have a BBJ in Moscow,” said BBJ president Lee Monson. “The BBJ offers the perfect mix of comfort and performance to meet the needs of Russian businesses, the government and charter operators. Two BBJs are currently based in Russia with private owners, so this is a good opportunity to showcase the aeroplane for other potential operators.”

The BBJ on display during the show featured a lounge, dining area, executive office, bedroom and two lavatories. Said a spokesman: “The versatility of the BBJ and the BBJ2, based on the Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 respectively, allows owners to create a unique environment for their specific needs – whether for eight passengers or a hundred – for private, corporate, charter or for government transport use.”

More than 65 BBJs are in service worldwide. Roughly 38 per cent of the customer base is in North America, with approximately 27 per cent in the Middle East, 19 per cent in Europe, 11 per cent in the Asia-Pacific region, four per cent in Africa and one per cent in Latin America.

Approximately 15 per cent of BBJ customers are from the corporate/business segment, more than a third are private individuals or entrepreneurs, just under a third are heads of state or government vips and 14 per cent are in charter or fractional ownership programmes.

A large-scale model of Boeing’s newly conceived aircraft, the Boeing 7E7, was also on display at the show.

The aircraft will carry 200-500 passengers in routes up to 8,000 nautical miles.

Boeing says it has a long history in Russia and has invested more than $1.3 billion (US) in cooperative programmes with the Russian aerospace industry over the past

ten years.