Boeing expects deliveries of its business jets to drop slightly in 2013, after posting "extraordinary" output last year.
The company's Boeing Business Jets (BBJs) division accomplished a goal of delivering 12 aircraft to completion centres in 2012, including the first 747-8. Another 12 BBJs were delivered from completion centres to operators last year.
That output roughly doubled annual deliveries of BBJs in recent years, mainly due to peculiarities of the company's production line.
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But Boeing does not expect to sustain the pace in 2013.
The year "2013 will actually be a little bit quieter in terms of numbers of deliveries", says BBJ president Steve Taylor.
The numbers should rebound in 2014 due to the timing of a sizeable lot of 787 deliveries, he says. The first 747-8 BBJ should also enter service in 2014, with eight delivered to completion centres in 2012.
The first 787-8 modified into a BBJ is expected to enter service later this year, he adds. The 787-9 is scheduled to enter service with airlines in 2014, but will not be delivered to a BBJ customer for at least five more years. The gap is the result of the backlog of orders for the 787-8, he says.
Source: Flight International
