Boeing Business Jet 2 (BBJ2)

The Boeing Business Jet 2, or BBJ2, is the private version of the Boeing 737-800, a fuselage 5.84 m longer than the 737-700 behind the first BBJ. The cross-section stays the same, 3.54 m wide and 2.20 m high, but the cabin grows to 29.97 m, and Boeing gave it about 25 % more floor area than the short version. The holds under the floor take more than twice as much baggage.

The type is chosen when a group is too large or carries too much for an ordinary bizliner:

BBJ2 cabin: a private suite and room for the group

Owners have used the extra length in two ways, so cabin plans vary more than on the short BBJ. The drawing of the offered aircraft comes with the quote.

• At 2.20 m everyone walks upright, and the width leaves room for a dining table, sofas and an aisle
• The galley is the size of an airliner galley and serves hot meals to the whole group
• Two pilots fly the aircraft, and the operator sets the number of cabin attendants by passenger count and flight length
• Wi-Fi and entertainment depend on the aircraft

Baggage: about 45 m³ under the floor

The BBJ2 holds take about 45.1 m³, and Boeing listed them as one of the main gains over the first BBJ. Suitcases for everyone fit, together with skis, golf bags, camera equipment or a team's kit cases. They cannot be reached in flight.

Dogs and cats fly in the cabin with their owner once the operator agrees. Within the EU they need:

• a microchip
• a rabies vaccination, the first one at least 21 days before travel
• an EU pet passport, plus a tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before entry for the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway

The UK accepts animals only via approved routes and airports, and the USA has its own entry rules, which we check before booking.

Range, runway length and airports

Two CFM56-7B27 engines power the BBJ2. From Western Europe it reaches New York, Toronto and the Gulf non-stop, also with a full cabin, and Miami or Malé with a smaller group. The route table uses a planning limit of 8,300 km. The runway at maximum weight is clearly longer than on the short BBJ, which matters at smaller holiday airports.

Flying the type in Europe

A few European rules matter more for a BBJ2 than for a business jet:

• A mixed layout with more than 19 passenger seats must carry cabin crew under EU rules
• An operator from outside the EU, including the UK, cannot normally fly a passenger leg within one EU country, such as Madrid to Tenerife, so the itinerary decides which aircraft we can offer
• Nice and Geneva are slot-coordinated, and on summer weekends or winter Saturdays a stand for a 39.50 m aircraft is hard to get without early booking
• De-icing in winter is charged separately, and for a 737-800 it can add a noticeable sum

Routes from European hubs

An aircraft of this size is usually chartered for a large group on longer trips within Europe or across the ocean, but the first rows show the price level on short legs too. Prices are one way for the whole aircraft with crew, without airport fees and passenger taxes; flight time follows the great circle with taxi, climb and approach added, and New York and Miami are calculated to JFK and Miami International.

Under 2 hours: what a short leg costs on 30 m of cabin

2 to 4 hours: Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Red Sea and the Gulf from Larnaca

Over 4 hours: the Gulf and the Atlantic, where the type earns its keep

• All European routes, Marrakesh and Tenerife are flown non-stop with a full cabin and a large fuel reserve
• From Western Europe, Riyadh, Doha and Dubai (5:17 h to 7:10 h) are direct, but closed airspace can make the routing longer
• New York and Toronto (7:09 h to 8:31 h) are typical transatlantic trips for the type
• London - Bahamas (8:53 h), Vienna - Malé (9:15 h) and Zurich - Miami (9:57 h) are close to the limit: with several dozen passengers and a headwind the operator may plan a fuel stop, for example in the Azores

A smaller group flies further and for less with the shorter BBJ or a Global 7500, which reach Miami and Malé with a reserve, so we quote one of them next to the BBJ2.

The calculator shows an indicative price on your route. For this aircraft we confirm the final amount with the operator, as much depends on where it is parked at the time.

What a BBJ2 charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 18,000 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel. Short legs carry a large fixed part for positioning, the minimum charge and handling of a 79 t aircraft: Milan Linate - Barcelona (1:24 h) costs from EUR 44,000 and Paris Le Bourget - Palma (1:46 h) from EUR 51,000.

On longer legs the fixed part weighs less, while long sectors add crew costs and overflight charges:

• Madrid - Tenerife, 2:42 h: from EUR 68,000
• Munich - Dubai, 6:01 h: from EUR 125,000
• London Farnborough - New York, 7:09 h: from EUR 145,000
• Zurich - Miami, 9:57 h: from EUR 200,000

The price covers the whole aircraft, so with a large group the share per person is far lower than in a business jet, and the group does not have to split across several aircraft.

Shared by the group, London Farnborough - New York comes to:

How to fly cheaper

• Let the date move by a day or two, so we can use a BBJ2 already near your departure airport
• For a return after several days, compare the aircraft waiting with its crew against two separate positioning flights
• With 15 to 19 people, the shorter BBJ or an ACJ319 is easier to find free, and a shorter positioning lowers the price
• A group of over 50 that does not need a private suite is usually better served by an airliner in business-class layout, which we quote for comparison

Empty Legs on this type

For a flexible group it makes more sense to send the route and a window of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights or through the Empty Legs page: we then watch Empty Legs of the BBJ, the ACJ319 and large business jets as well.

BBJ2, BBJ, BBJ3 or ACJ319

Anyone asking about this aircraft usually compares it with the other two members of the family and with the Airbus ACJ319. All have an airliner cross-section and differ in cabin length, range and baggage.

How to book

Give the route with airports, the date, the number of passengers and an estimate of baggage, and for a sports team the equipment as well. Tell us how many people fly in the private suite and how many in the group cabin, as each BBJ2 has its own layout.

Questions about the BBJ2

• • How much does a BBJ2 cost from London to New York?

  • The flight from Farnborough to JFK takes 7:09 h and starts at EUR 145,000 one way for the whole aircraft, or about EUR 7,600 each with 19 passengers. Airport fees, passenger taxes and usually positioning from the aircraft's base come on top.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time at the hourly rate, positioning from the operator's base, crew hotels and allowances, airport and handling fees by weight, passenger taxes and extras such as catering and de-icing.

• • Why is a one-hour flight so expensive?

  • Positioning, the minimum charge and handling of a 79 t aircraft are a fixed part of every trip. Geneva - Olbia takes 1:17 h and costs from EUR 42,000, while on a long sector that part is spread over many hours.

• • How can we pay less?

  • Keep the date flexible, compare a crew stay with two positioning flights and, for up to 19 people, let us quote the shorter BBJ or an ACJ319, which are easier to find nearby.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the BBJ2?

  • Almost never, as very few aircraft fly charter. We can watch Empty Legs of similar aircraft for your route, at 30-60% below a normal charter in some cases, with a fixed date and the risk of cancellation.

• • How many people can fly on a BBJ2?

  • It depends on the aircraft. Layouts with a large suite have about 19 seats, mixed layouts with business-class seats in the rear several dozen. The cabin plan of the offered aircraft comes with the quote.

• • What is the difference between the BBJ and the BBJ2?

  • The BBJ2 is 5.84 m longer, with a 29.97 m cabin against 24.13 m and holds more than twice as large. It is heavier, so it flies a little less far (10,453 km against 11,482 km) and needs a longer runway.

• • Can the BBJ2 fly non-stop to Miami?

  • With 15 to 19 people usually yes: Zurich - Miami is 7,845 km and 9:57 h. With several dozen passengers and heavy baggage the operator may plan a fuel stop.

• • Is there room for a whole team's equipment?

  • Usually yes, as the holds take about 45 m³. Auxiliary fuel tanks can take part of that space, so send a list with the sizes of large items together with the request. Dogs and cats travel in the cabin, not in the hold.

• • Can the aircraft land in the Alps or in Cannes?

  • No. An aircraft of nearly 80 t needs a large airport with a long runway. Ski groups land in Geneva, Zurich or Salzburg, and on the Riviera the jet uses Nice.