OREANDA-NEWS. October 29, 2012. Boeing (NYSE: BA) announced its intent to offer the BBJ MAX 8 and the BBJ MAX 9, furthering Boeing's dominance in the large cabin ultra-long-range business jet market. The announcement was made today at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Conference in Orlando, Fla.

The BBJ MAX 8, based on the 737 MAX 8, will be the first member of the BBJ MAX family to take advantage of the efficiency of CFM International's new LEAP-1B engines and the Boeing developed Advanced Technology winglet. The new engine and Advanced Technology winglet will provide customers with a 13 percent fuel-use improvement. Together, these features will translate to a range of 6,325 nautical miles – a more than 14-percent increase over today's class-leading BBJ 2 that will be validated in final configuration and flight test.

The BBJ MAX 8 will share the same cabin size with today's BBJ 2, offering customers a 19-foot longer cabin and three times the cargo space of today's BBJ. The BBJ MAX 8 will also improve on its market leading range capability and maintain the BBJ advantages of lower cabin altitude, unmatched reliability and outstanding product support around the globe.

"We anticipate the BBJ MAX 8 will be a very strong seller as a VIP aircraft and will likely capture a larger share of the market because it's the right combination of performance, space and comfort," said Captain Steve Taylor, BBJ president. "For VIP customers, extended range and exceptional comfort are equally important. The BBJ MAX will ensure our customers get the best of both."     

Boeing also intends to develop the plan for the BBJ MAX 9 based on the 737 MAX 9. Similar performance improvements are anticipated, offering a 6,255 nm range with an even larger cabin than the BBJ MAX 8.  Plans for a BBJ MAX 7 are being studied.