Boeing to offer new buying process, interior options with new BBJ Select

From the posh bedroom with a standup shower in its ensuite bathroom to its 15-hour nonstop range, all of the world-class offerings in the Boeing Business Jet VIP configuration are now getting a streamlined option for buyers to customize and take delivery of an aircraft sooner and at a better price. Officials with Boeing rolled out the BBJ Select on Monday in Las Vegas at NBAA-BACE. "It makes it easy to get into a BBJ," said BBJ President Joe Benson. The Select model will be built on the Boeing 737-7 platform. "For customers who may not have the time or desire to create a fully bespoke interior, BBJ Select offers pre-designed options to outfit their cabin, which allows us to offer the jet at a very attractive, fixed price." While the front and rear zones will remain the same across all of the customer options, keeping a forward lav, galley and crew rest area at the front and the VIP bedroom and full bathroom at the aft, the three middle zones can be selected from a handful of options, fitting the needs of business and family alike. Ultimately, the company said there are 144 possible interior layouts. The big change in reducing the number of hoops from order to aircraft delivery will be in that all of the pods are already engineered. Further, the interior will be assembled by one of two companies, Aloft AeroArchitects and Greenpoint Technologies. The end result is the customer signing one contract with Boeing to cover everything, rather than having the aircraft assembled and then a buyer choosing a third-party to deck it out, helping reduce price and delivery time. New to the BBJ Select will be a first-class-style zone that offers six first-class-style seating areas, with chairs that lie flat and walled areas with doors for privacy. It is the only of the available zone modules that will carry a higher price tag. However, Boeing officials did not disclose specific dollar amounts. The number of color palettes for the interior is also streamlined, with three options, serene, midnight, and earthbound. For customers with a more unique taste, completely custom BBJs will still be offered. For now, the new plan is being rolled out in only the 737-7 model, but depending on market response, it could be considered for other models. Responding to a question, Boeing reps noted that the modular options could make reconfiguration of an aircraft interior easier to complete upon reselling of a BBJ Select. Boeing says that buyers will be enticed by an all-in fixed price alongside a $5,200 hourly operating cost and a depreciation rate that outpaces that of many other ultra-long-range jets. Boeing expects to complete its first delivery of a BBJ Select aircraft in 2026. 2023 NBAA-BACE CoverageHondaJet Echelon unveiled at NBAA-BACE as a light jet that can perform like a midsizeBombardier reveals EcoJet phase 2 testing progressFAA, NTSB leaders headlining panel at 2023 NBAA-BACEJSSI launches PartsHub at 2023 NBAA-BACE