By Vovick Karnozov
AWN Moscow-based columnist

Boeing held a press briefing today focused on the Boeing Business Jet program. Although Boeing does not expect sales of BBJs to Russian customers in the near feature, the company believes that the large territory of Russia, covering 11 time zones, is a natural market for the BBJ.

This airplane can fly non-stop from Moscow to Los Angeles. A typical journey for a Moscow businessman wanting to meet his partners in the US for an hour-long talk would be about 24 hours, during which time he would be able to fly to the US, meet the partner there, and get back home.

"We see a big market for our airplanes in Russia over the long run," Boeing said. Technically the BBJ is a variant of the new generation 737, so it is a certified product in Russia (The 737NG was certified by the Interstate Aviation Committee - MAK - in 1998). Several prominent Russian businessmen have already discussed with Boeing the possibility to acquire the BBJ.

So far, 22 "green" BBJs ("green" means lacking interior) have been assembled. Furnishing and installation of equipment in the cabin normally takes from six to seven months. First two fully equipped BBJs will appear in international airports in September this year. The first two fully completed BBJs will began flights in the interest of their owners by the end of this month. By the end of this year Boeing expects to have delivered 33 green BBJs. Out of that total, from 10 to 12 airframes will be totally completed and ready for active service. When the BBJ is established, yearly production rate would be 20-24 airframes.

Boeing is also doing feasibility studies on a prospective supersonic business jet (SBJ). Boeing is considering how, with the big (200-300 seat) supersonic transport aircraft (SST-2) project cancelled, it might be useful to try technologies on an SBJ, which would be considerably smaller in terms of overall geometry to the SST-2. The right time for an SBJ to appear on the market is said to be the years 2010-2012. Design and construction stage should take from five to six years, provided the engineers have principal solutions to the problems of powerplant and sonic boom.

If Boeing launches such a program, it would most certainly try to team with Russian companies having vast experience in designing and operating large supersonic jets, like Tupolev Tu-160, Tu-22M, Tu-22 and Tu-144, as well as Sukhoi Mach 3 experimental bomber, referred to as the Hundred. Boeing has had a series of talks with Sukhoi on potential cooperation on an SBJ project.