Boeing Business Jets triples Chinese fleet in 5 years

Visitors walk past of a Boeing Business Jet 787 aircraft during the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) at Cointrin airport in Geneva, Switzerland, May 24, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

SHANGHAI - Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) has seen continuous growth in China and has a fleet of 29 BBJ aircraft in operation in the market, said Boeing at a business airshow in Shanghai Tuesday.

"The figure shows that the BBJ fleet has tripled [in China] over the last five years in this burgeoning market," said Greg Laxton, vice-president with Boeing Business Jets, at the 2017 Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition.

"We are confident that strong growth will continue in China. We expect the new BBJ MAX family to be very popular in this market with additional cabin space and significant range increases."

Boeing said the BBJ fleet in China would continue to expand in 2017 with two BBJs, one BBJ 2 and one BBJ 787 entering service. In 2018, two BBJ MAX 8s will be delivered to customers.

Boeing Business Jets has signed an agreement with Ameco Beijing to serve as an official BBJ Warranty Service Center. The agreement allows BBJ customers in China to receive customized support for their aircraft.

"We are committed to offering world-class customer support to customers in China. This new agreement is another way for them to access support that is fast and customized to their specific needs," Laxton said.

Boeing and GE jointly initiated Boeing Business Jets in 1996. To date the company has more than 400 jets in operation worldwide.