First transatlantic flight by non-commercial operator using navigation technology
The Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) has become the first non-commercial aircraft to cross the North Atlantic using future air navigation system (FANS) technology. The BBJ demonstrator flew from Boeing's Gary, Indiana-based flight department to EBACE in Geneva on 23 May.
FANS has been deployed by commercial airlines for many years on transatlantic and transpacific routes. The technology provides air traffic control with automated position reports and brief datalink messages from pilots. In oceanic airspace pilots can ask for clearance changes using the flight management computer keypad, which will display text responses from air traffic control.
Lee Monson, president of Boeing Business Jets, says FANS has the capability of providing reduced en-route separation and more direct routing, which leads to shortened flight times and fuel savings. FANS is particularly important across the North Atlantic, he argues, where the increase in air travel is congesting the high-frequency voice channels. FANS also plays a similar role on burgeoning Pacific routes, he adds. Three BBJs are approved by the FANS central monitoring agency and Monson expects many of the BBJ and BBJ2 customers to buy the upgrade at a cost of around $60,000.
Monson suggests demand for the BBJ is building up "after a experiencing a real lull in the market" with at least four orders, evenly split between the two models, anticipated this year. To date 77 BBJs and 11 BBJ2s have been sold.
Boeing Business Jets says there is growing interest in a VIP version of the 7E7 airliner, but the first available slot to a corporate customer would not be until around 2013. Boeing says one of the aircraft's strengths is its range of more than 18,500km (10,000nm) "which opens a whole world of possibilities to private customers". Boeing says a typical VIP 7E7 buyer would be an existing owner of a BBJ2, 767 or 757s.
Aside from the Boeing's typical business jet offerings, the BBJ and BBJ2, a niche market has developed for VIP-configured Boeing airliners with six 747s, several 757s, six 767s and three 777s in service.
Source: Flight International
