Aircraft
BBJ success not expected to peak soon
A record order backlog for Boeing 737s has put Boeing Business Jet president Steven Hill in something of a quandary.

A record order backlog for Boeing 737s has put Boeing Business Jet president Steven Hill in something of a quandary. On one hand, residual values on used airplanes keep rising, but a customer for a new airplane could have to wait 10 years for delivery. “That is a turnoff” for potential customers, conceded Hill, although Boeing Business Jets (Booth No. 7479) itself continues to see its own backlog grow to unprecedented levels.

In fact, during last year’s EBACE show, Boeing Business Jets reported a total order count of 135 airplanes after taking orders for a then-record 27 airplanes since the 2006 edition. This year Boeing Business Jets has set yet another record–this time for 33 airplanes worth $4.2 billion–taking cumulative orders for the company to 168. All told, including nine airplanes sold before Boeing Business Jets was incorporated in 1996, the company has sold 177.