Risky Bizness

Once the undisputed king of business jets, Boeing is betting that its BBJ Select will finally help it reclaim the crown.

- Michael Verdon

IN TERMS BOTH of size and exclusivity, the pinnacle of private aviation has long been contested between just two parties: Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) and Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ). Each converts its large commercial aircraft into lavish, sometimes outlandish, business jets commissioned by captains of industry, world leaders and royalty. Yet these duelling giants have seen shrinking market shares against competitors such as Gulfstream, Bombardier and Dassault—and in the bizliner business, less is never more.

“The biggest wide-bodies comprise only about five per cent of the bizliner world,” says Richard Gaona, chairman of Comlux, a Zurich-based provider of aviation services certified for both BBJ and ACJ interior completions. Gaona notes that, in this rarefied segment, “most interiors tend to be subtle and elegant, designed for heads of state who want their aircraft to represent their countries”, which means total customisation has always been a given.