This is Airsider.

10th May 2003

The Need for Global Shuttles

In times of globalisation and intercontinental enterprises, corporate shuttles are getting more and more important. Boeing is now offering a new solution for this growing market segment, the Boeing 717 Business Express. A report by Michael Meier from Geneva.

Large companies with international structures often have a natural flow of employees which need to travel between all the different facilities. Since companies are getting more and more global, most of this travel is done in the air. Unfortunately, with all the delays and security troubles which are involved in trips on normal airline flights, a lot of important time is wasted while travelling. But there is a new solution for corporate business travel.

Let's have a look at DaimlerChrysler, the German/American automobile manufacturer. The corporation has a lot of travellers between the various business centres and factories in Europe and the United States. Instead of buying huge consignments of airline tickets each day, the company was looking for a new solution. Since January 2000, it operates an internal shuttle service with an Airbus ACJ. The aircraft typically makes four weekly trans-Atlantic roundtrips between its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany and Auburn Hills, Michigan, plus two per week to its Vitoria factory in Spain. Furthermore, there are a lot of special missions, like flights to exhibitions where DaimlerChrysler is represented.

The ACJ is based on the popular A319 airliner, with additional features such as auxiliary fuel tanks and airstairs for greater autonomy. Beside that, the ACJ is just a standard Airbus A319 with less seats. In a typical business class layout, the ACJ is equipped with about 40-50 seats. Worldwide, about a dozen ACJs are in operation at corporations, charter companies and governments. Originally, Airbus has launched the ACJ as an answer to the BBJ concept by Boeing and General Electric (GE). However, the BBJ is far more successful in comparison to the ACJ, especially in the market of private or executive aircrafts.

As stated above, Boeing does already have the BBJ in its portfolio. The BBJ, based on the Boeing 737-700, is very popular as a business aircraft. More than 60 planes are currently in service. And the BBJ is also frequently used on corporate shuttle missions.

At PrivatAir for instance. PrivatAir is a leading international business aviation group with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The BBJ specialist operates a six weekly non-stop flight for Lufthansa between Düsseldorf and New York's Newark Airport with a BBJ. The route has been instated in June 2002 and is performing well.

Beside the BBJ, Boeing is now offering another aircraft, specially designed to fit all the needs of corporate shuttle services. At the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Boeing unveiled the 717 Business Express, the newest variant of the Boeing 717-200.

The 717 Business Express is designed to provide corporate employees with more productive space and improved use of travel time compared to typical business travel . The airplane can be configured to seat from 40 to 80 passengers in first- and/or business-class comfort. Additionally, the airplane can be equipped with airborne workstations, meeting spaces, videoconferencing capability and full broadband connectivity.

The customer is free to chose the interior for the plane. While Boeing is offering some basic layouts, it is also possible to buy the aircraft "green", fresh from the production line. In this case, one of the certified competition centers will install the interior according to the client's needs and wishes.

In comparison to the original design of the 717-200, the engineers have added additional fuel tanks that give the airplane up to 3,140 nautical miles (5,815 kilometers) while carrying 60 passengers. That's an important argument in the US market, as this will enable transcontinental flights from coast to coast. Transatlantic flights should also be possible, but one fuel stop will probably be necessary, depending on the destination.

The ability of the 717 to use smaller, less-congested, secondary airports is also important, allowing for lower airport fees and enabling the business traveller to avoid the crowds of overcrowded hub airports. To make sure the aircraft can operate from anywhere, integrated airstairs are also part of the basic package. The Boeing 717 can operate from airports where planes like the 737s or the BBJs are not allowed. For example Teterboro in the New York area. It would be a great alternative to the hubs like JFK or Newark, but a BBJ is too heavy for the small airport. However, the 717 is able to operate from Teterboro.

Another very significant modification in comparison to the standard Boeing 717-200 are the blended winglets, which are also used on the BBJ. Offered in partnership with Aviation Partners, the winglets will sure have a positive effect to the aerodynamics, an important factor on longer flights. And of course, the plane looks much better with them! The blended winglets are not certified for the 717 yet, but it is certainly possible to add them later once their certification is done.

Right now, the Boeing 717 "Business Express" is a concept on the papers, but it shouldn't take too long until the first plane is flying. Boeing told that they already are in contact with some potential customers, but no orders have been announced so far.

The Boeing 717 "Business Express" does sure have a huge potential in the growing market of corporate shuttles. Therefore, it shouldn't take too long until the first Boeing Business Express enters service.

The program launch is also an important commitment to the 717 program, which was developed under McDonnell Douglas (MDD) as the MD-95 (successor of the DC-9/MD-80 series). After the takeover of MDD, Boeing launched the plane as the model 717. So far, the aircraft has not been a big seller, as the 717 stands in direct competition the successful Boeing 737 and Airbus A32X families, which offer better fleet commonality.

It has been rumoured that Boeing is evaluating further variations of the basic 717 airframe. However, a 717-300 or something like that has not been confirmed or denied yet, but it's nice to see that Boeing is pushing the 717 program with this new variant.