Which Business Jet Has Boeing Sold The Most?

Since launching the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) program almost three decades ago, Boeing has sold over 260 business jets derived from its commercial airframes. Starting with the Boeing 737NG, the manufacturer has expanded its offerings to include widebody jets, including the 747, 777, and 787 Dreamliner. As it did with its commercial 737 production, Boeing phased out the 737NG in favor of a business version of the 737 MAX, which has sold reasonably well thus far.

Once it is rolled off the production line and fully furnished, a Boeing Business Jet is one of the largest and most luxurious private jet options on the market today. Along with rival business jets from the Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) range, it stands in a size class of its own, particularly its larger widebody business jets. But which BBJ has Boeing sold the most over the years?

The original BBJ line

The Boeing 737-700 became the base for the company’s first modified business jet, marketed as the BBJ – it sold tremendously well, with a total of 113 deliveries. This is the most sales of any single BBJ variant by a considerable distance, helping 737NG-derived business jets to lead the sales table by a long way.

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

The BBJ, or BBJ1, would soon be followed by the BBJ2, this time based on a 737-800 airframe, which would enter service three years later – this was also a relative success with 23 total deliveries. Boeing then introduced a stretched BBJ3 based on the 737-900ER which was first delivered in 2009, with a total of 7 sales.

Widebody variants

With the success of its narrowbody BBJs, Boeing stepped up its game with the addition of widebody offerings that would clearly appeal to governments and perhaps ultra-wealthy private customers. It started off with a business version of the 747-400 (succeeded by the 747-8I), followed by 777 and 787 business jets.

BBJ 747

Photo: Oleksandr Naumenko | Shutterstock

The BBJ 747-8 is the largest private jet ever built, with plans to develop a private Airbus A380 for a Saudi prince ultimately not materializing. There have been a total of eight BBJ 747 deliveries – as you would expect, these widebody business giants are almost exclusively operated by governments for VIP transport. Notable operators of the largest BBJ, the 747, include:

• Government of Kuwait
• Qatar Amiri Flight
• Sultan of Brunei

However, not all of these giants are state-owned, as one BBJ 747-8 previously owned by Qatar Amiri Flight recently passed into private hands. The aircraft, registered as P4-HBJ (formerly A7-HJA), was taken over by Global Jet Isle of Man and is being managed on behalf of an unnamed private client rumored to be from Hong Kong.

BBJ 777

Up next for Boeing was its successful 777 program, with the company building its BBJ 777 on the 777-200ER fuselage. This jet entered service in 2002 and boasted a range of over 10,000 nautical miles.

The company is also planning to introduce a business jet based on its upcoming 777X, of which the commercial version is slated to enter service in 2025. The business jet version will boast an even larger cabin than the 747-400 and an incredible range of over 11,800 nautical miles.

BBJ 787

Photo: Boeing

The BBJ 787-8 was the first Dreamliner variant to enter service in 2011, followed by the longer 787-9 version in 2013. Boeing also offers a BBJ 787-10, but its records show that it has yet to deliver a single airframe of this variant.

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MAX refresh

In 2014, Boeing announced that it would be offering business variants of its upcoming 737 MAX aircraft, with the smallest variant costing over $100 million. The MAX would take flight for the first time in January 2016, and the first delivery for a commercial airframe was completed for launch customer Southwest Airlines in August 2017. The first BBJ MAX 8 was delivered just over a year later, in October 2018, with the BBJ MAX 9 debuting almost three years later, in August 2021.

While both the MAX 8 and 9 variants have entered service, the MAX 7 has yet to be introduced as the type is still awaiting certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). With the certification process still dragging on, Boeing had hoped to get the MAX 7 certified in 2024; however, an issue with the engine’s anti-icing system will reportedly take Boeing up to a year to fix, so the MAX 7 may not be certified until 2025.

A class of their own

With all this extra cabin space, BBJ’s can be configured with all kinds of seating and furnishings. Government and military jets will usually have their own conference rooms and/or command centers, as well as bedrooms and private offices for VIPs onboard.

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Have you ever been lucky enough to fly on a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ)? Let us know your stories in the comment section!