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Boeing BBJ is one of the few manufacturers at BAAFEx.
SINGAPORE—Boeing is seeing increased activity in the used large “biz-liner” segment, as private owners seek to acquire aircraft urgently. The manufacturer is also identifying opportunities to replace aging head-of-state and government aircraft.
“The interesting thing about private users is that they want airplanes now. There’s very little patience, so we’re seeing a lot of inquiries about the used BBJ market,” Chris Shindle, BBJ director of marketing, told Aviation Week at the inaugural Business Aviation Asia Forum and Expo (BAAFEx) in Singapore.
“The market is active, partly because the Max 7 has not yet been certified, and our Max 8 and Max 9 models are sold out. With only a handful of BBJs rolling out of the factory each year, availability remains a challenge,” he added.
While North America and the Middle East remain the largest markets for biz-liners, Boeing is seeing growing demand in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in Southeast Asia and Australia, driven by economic expansion and GDP growth.
“China has been quiet for a while in both commercial and business aviation,” Shindle noted. “However, we expect to see more activity as our sales teams are now working extensively in China.”
He also highlighted a new opportunity in the replacement of head-of-state aircraft, primarily 737s. The Royal Australian Air Force recently became the first in the region to introduce two 737 Max 8s for VIP transport.
According to the Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database, there are currently 27 737s in the Asia-Pacific region used for VIP transport, including 12 in China, six in Indonesia, and four in Thailand.
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