Have you ever been on board a SpiceJet Boeing 737 and wondered what life would be if Boeing spiced up the jet to fly only 19 people on the same plane? Here’s what it really feels like…
At the recently concluded Dubai Air Show, yours truly got an exclusive preview of the Boeing Business Jet that is usually reserved for flying top Boeing executives around the globe.
The Boeing BBJ 1, based on the popular 737 platform, is outfitted to seat 15 passengers and six crew members rather comfortably. The cabin includes two private suites, both with fully equipped washrooms and showers.
The BBJ boasts an elegant dining area, lounge-conference space with large flat-screen televisions, high-speed internet, a separate galley, and rest space for the crew to provide further privacy for VIP passengers.
At the rear of this particular jet is a private suite, which I thought, could comfortably sleep two as though you were home! Another one of the comforts on board the BBJ is the full-height fuselage, which means passengers don’t have to be worrying about knocking their head into the ceiling, an issue frequently noticed on the smaller private jets. Works excellently for tall people, for instance, basketball players.
The BBJ showcased to us flies up to 14 hours, with its successor bringing an additional two hours of flight time. That translates into a flight halfway around the globe, without a tech stop for fuel.
This airplane, just like all other Boeing airplanes, features low cabin altitude and supplemental humidity systems to improve passenger comfort and reduce jet lag on long, trans-oceanic flights. This means you arrive fresh and ready to do business at your destination, rather than tired and spending time acclimating on the other side.
“The Boeing Business Jet is a penthouse in the sky, and its unmatched cabin size and space show why the BBJ is preferred over every other private jet,” says BBJ President James (JD) Detwiler, adding, “Customers can work with high-speed connectivity and privacy, dine, relax, sleep and shower in private suites, while other guests and crew have full access to the main cabin.”
Boeing Business Jets, a separate division inside The Boeing Company, is responsible for marketing these jets. The BBJ series are variants of Boeing’s commercial jet airliners for the corporate jet market. While Boeing won’t reveal details about its customers, representatives of the company said that about half of BBJ customers and passengers are high net worth individuals, while the other half is split between heads of state and charter companies.
This year BBJ celebrates its 25th anniversary with more than 260 orders to date. Since 1996, BBJ has provided the business jet industry’s most reliable, high quality and luxurious flying experience for customers. Built to the highest quality and safety standards, every BBJ is customised to each owner’s individual tastes and needs.
No wonder, then, the BBJ is sought after by VIPs and heads of state for travel requirements. Who wouldn’t, after all, if they could afford to fly with their entourage at a time of their choosing and land at an airstrip closer to work?
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