There is a lot of excitement regarding Boeing’s upcoming 777X family.
The aircraft will represent a strong commitment to a twin-engine future while retaining the size
that made older aircraft like the 747 so awe-inspiring. The examples produced for
airlines will surely be very nicely appointed inside, but the proposed business jet version
of the aircraft is on another level altogether! Let’s take a closer look at this flying mansion.
In terms of Boeing’s current 777 offering, there are already a
handful of VIP-configured triple-sevens out there from the existing portfolio.
One example is this aircraft is registered as VP-CAL (victor-papa-charlie-alpha-lima),
and has been with the company since its delivery in November 2010.
Existing private 777s offer customers impressive capacity and range, with a conspicuously luxurious
twist. Indeed, according to Paramount Business Jets, the VIP-configured 777-200LR that it hires
out seats just 88 passengers. This represents less than a third of the
aircraft’s two-class capacity in passenger service (317 seats, according to Boeing).
As you can imagine, this gives its lucky few passengers a great deal more space. Furthermore,
its range of 18,520 km (10,000 NM) significantly outranks the already impressive 15,843 km (8,555
NM) offered by the standard 777-200LR. Paramount says this will cost customers $23,650 per hour.
So how will the private 777X compare? In December 2018, Boeing made the exciting announcement
that its business jets division (BBJ) would be producing 75-seat VIP versions of the 777X family.
It first publicized this at the bi-annual Middle East Business Aviation Association Show in Dubai.
Unsurprisingly, their designations will be the BBJ 777-8 and 777-9. Greg Laxton,
head of Boeing Business Jets, said that: “Our most exclusive customers want to travel
with the best space and comfort and fly directly to their destination. The new BBJ 777X will be
able to do this like no other airplane before it, redefining ultra-long range VIP travel.”
The larger BBJ 777-9 has a monumental range of 20,370 km (11,000 NM). However,
the smaller BBJ 777-8 is set to produce even more impressive performance figures,
facilitating non-stop flights of up to 21,570 km (11,645 NM). Boeing says that this makes it the
“longest-range business jet ever... [that] can connect virtually any two cities in the world.”
In addition to its impressive range, the BBJ 777X will have an impressively spacious cabin.
This will measure 302.5 square meters on the 777-8, and 342.7 square meters on the 777-9.
The sheer size of its interior means that the aircraft “opens up almost unlimited interior
design options to ensure ultimate comfort for long-distance travel,” particularly on the 777-9.
“To demonstrate the versatility of the airplane’s spacious cabin,
BBJ unveiled interior concepts from three leading design firms: Greenpoint Technologies,
Jet Aviation, and Unique Aircraft Design. Each concept shows how the
BBJ 777X can be transformed to suit the tastes of any VIP customer.” -Boeing
Such luxury does not come cheap: According to Forbes, the list price for the BBJ 777X
at the time of its announcement was $442.8 million for the smaller -8,
and $453.6 million for the larger 777-9. What’s more, these figures reportedly don’t include the
cost of fitting the plane’s luxurious interior, which itself can be $90 million to $175 million.
For comparison, Simple Flying reported recently that the larger
777-9’s list price was $442.2 million and $410.2 million for the -8.
While airlines might get hefty discounts for bulk orders, VIP customers are unlikely to buy
more than one...or two, meaning that their discount might be comparatively minimal.
Do you like the sound of the Boeing 777X business jet?
Who do you think will be its first customers? Let us know in the comments.