Boeing private jet charter

Boeing created the VIP airliner market. In 1996 the company set up Boeing Business Jets as a joint venture with General Electric, at the instigation of Boeing president Phil Condit and GE chairman Jack Welch, and handed the programme to Borge Boeskov. Its product was a Boeing 737 Next Generation with the seat rows taken out and a house put in. Airbus answered with the ACJ a year later, and the segment has been a two-horse race ever since.

More than 260 BBJs have been delivered. Boeing currently builds two lines: the BBJ 737 MAX in narrowbody and the BBJ 787 in widebody. Across the wider VIP widebody market, where the aircraft cost more than most airlines' entire fleets, Boeing holds roughly three quarters of everything sold in the past two decades.

Charter rates run from around £13,000 per flight hour for a narrowbody BBJ to £35,000 and beyond for a VIP 747-8. This page explains what is available, what is late, and why two aircraft of the same type can be quoted at wildly different prices.

For a quote, contact us via WhatsApp on +44 204 577-31-19 or by email at [email protected]

Green aircraft, and the two years that follow

This is the single most useful thing to understand about a BBJ, and it is why quotes vary so much between aircraft that share a type certificate.

Boeing does not build the interior. An aircraft leaves Seattle in what the industry calls green condition: structurally complete, fully certified, painted in primer, and empty inside. No seats, no galleys, no bulkheads, no wiring for cabin systems. From there it flies to a completion centre, and the cabin is designed and installed as a one-off commission over roughly twelve to twenty-four months.

Three consequences follow, and all three affect what you are quoted:

• No two BBJs are alike. One 737-based aircraft might carry 19 passengers in a layout with a bedroom, a shower and a conference room. Another of the same type might seat 50 in a high-density government configuration. Both are BBJs and neither tells you much about the other;
• Completion cost often exceeds the aircraft. A green narrowbody airframe is a fraction of the delivered price once the interior is built, and on widebodies the completion can run to tens of millions on its own;
• Delivery timelines are measured in years. Order a BBJ today and the green aircraft arrives on Boeing's production schedule, then the clock starts again at the completion centre. This is why the charter fleet grows slowly and why availability rarely improves quickly.

Completion work for BBJs is done by a small number of specialists, among them Jet Aviation, Greenpoint Technologies and Comlux. When comparing charter options, the completion centre and the year of the interior tell you more about the passenger experience than the airframe designation does.

The narrowbody BBJs

That original family was based on the 737 Next Generation, not the earlier 737 Classic, and remains the backbone of the charter fleet:

• BBJ1, based on the 737-700. The original and by some distance the most common;
• BBJ2, based on the 737-800. Around 25 per cent more cabin space and more baggage volume;
• BBJ3, based on the 737-900ER. The largest of the narrowbody family.

All three carry auxiliary fuel tanks in the hold to lift range well beyond the airline versions, along with winglets and higher-thrust engine ratings. Since 737NG production ended, these are second-hand aircraft only.

Current production is the BBJ MAX, offered as the MAX 7, MAX 8 and MAX 9. Compared with the aircraft it replaces it brings CFM LEAP-1B engines, a 15 per cent reduction in fuel burn, range beyond 6,000 nautical miles and a cabin altitude of 6,500 feet rather than the 8,000 feet typical of an airliner. That last figure matters on a twelve-hour sector more than any interior fitting does.

One detail sets it apart from every airline 737: retractable airstairs are fitted as standard. It can therefore board and disembark passengers at an airfield with no jet bridge and no ground equipment, which is precisely the situation a private operator encounters at a remote or after-hours airport. Direct operating costs are estimated at 5,200 to 5,600 dollars per hour, which is lower than several purpose-built business jets of comparable size.

About the 737 MAX

Anyone considering a MAX variant will know the history and deserves it addressed rather than skirted.

Two crashes of airline 737 MAX aircraft, in October 2018 and March 2019, killed 346 people. The type was grounded worldwide from March 2019 and returned to service from November 2020 following changes to the flight control software, revised crew procedures and additional training requirements. In January 2024 the Federal Aviation Administration capped Boeing's 737 MAX production rate after a door plug detached from an Alaska Airlines aircraft in flight.

Since then the regulatory position has moved. In September 2025 the FAA restored Boeing's authority to perform final safety checks and issue airworthiness certificates for 737 MAX aircraft, a delegation it had withheld for more than six years, and subsequently raised the production cap it had imposed in 2024.

For a charter client the practical points are these. Since the return to service the fleet has accumulated several years and many millions of hours of post-return service. MAX variants are operated by governments and corporations under the same certification as the airline fleet. And any charter operator you deal with holds an air operator certificate audited by its national authority, which is the layer of oversight that actually governs the flight you take.

Widebodies, where Boeing leads

Roughly three quarters of VIP widebody airliners sold over the past two decades have been Boeing. A worldwide VIP widebody fleet numbers somewhere between 120 and 140 aircraft in total, so this is a small market in which Boeing happens to hold most of the ground.

787. Currently in production and offered in 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 form. Composite structure allows a cabin altitude of 6,000 feet and higher humidity than an aluminium aircraft can sustain, which is a genuine comfort difference on sectors beyond ten hours. Around 14 have been delivered as VIP aircraft. In 2019 an undisclosed customer ordered two BBJ 787-9s in a deal reported at around 564 million dollars including completion. Range approaches 9,500 nautical miles, enough for London to Sydney or Tokyo to Cape Town without stopping, and comfortably within reach of New York or Dubai from any UK airport.

747-8. Seventeen BBJ 747s were ordered and all were delivered, of which eight are 747-8 based. It offers a main deck plus an upper deck, which no other aircraft in private aviation provides. Production has ended: the 747 line closed in 2022 and these are now second-hand aircraft only. Acquisition prices including completion exceed 400 million dollars.

777. Seventeen were ordered and all delivered. A large, long-range widebody sitting between the 787 and the 747 in cabin volume.

What is late, and by how much

Two Boeing programmes are widely quoted as though they were available. Neither is, and the gap between announcement and reality is worth stating precisely.

777X. Announced in December 2018 with genuinely remarkable numbers: a 342.7 square metre cabin on the 777-9, larger than the main deck of a 747-400, and a range of around 11,300 nautical miles, with the 777-8 offering 11,835 nautical miles in a 302.5 square metre cabin. GE9X engines, the largest commercial turbofans ever built. Operating costs projected at 30 per cent below the BBJ 747-8.

A commercial 777-9 first flew on 25 January 2020 and was originally due in service in 2020. Certification has slipped repeatedly and Boeing has pushed first deliveries to 2027, which places availability at 2027 to 2028 at the earliest. Development of the shorter 777-8 has been deprioritised while resources go to certifying the 777-9. Several Middle East orders that had been expected to go to it moved instead to the Airbus ACJ350, which was available.

VC-25B, the next Air Force One. Two 747-8s are under contract to replace the VC-25A aircraft that have flown the role since 1990. Delivery was originally planned for 2024 and is now expected in 2028 or later. In the interim a second-hand 747-8, previously operated by Qatar, was converted and entered service as a bridge aircraft in June 2026. None of these aircraft is chartered, but the programme is frequently cited as evidence of Boeing's head-of-state credentials and the dates attached to it are usually years out of date.

What it costs to put one in the air

Indicative hourly rates in GBP for UK departures. Expect wide variance within each type for the completion reasons set out above.

Three realities about booking one:

• Available aircraft are few. Of the 260-plus delivered, a large share belong to governments, royal households and corporations that never place them on charter. Widebody availability in particular is measured in a handful of aircraft worldwide;
• Lead time is weeks. These aircraft do not sit on standby, and positioning a widebody for a single rotation is itself a major undertaking that appears in the quote;
• None operates into London City. Unlike the smallest Airbus corporate jets, no 737-based or larger Boeing holds steep approach certification for that airport. Stansted, Luton, Farnborough and Heathrow are the realistic UK options.

Repositioning opportunities occasionally appear on our empty legs page. For rates across every manufacturer see the private jet price guide or browse the complete fleet. The direct alternative in this category is covered on our Airbus Corporate Jets page; for groups under 19 where speed matters more than floor area, a Gulfstream G700 covers similar distances at roughly half the hourly rate.

Boeing or Airbus for a VIP airliner?

Both ranges overlap almost completely, so the decision usually comes down to specifics rather than brand.

• Cabin width. The A320 fuselage is slightly wider than the 737, which shows in narrowbody layouts. An ACJ320neo cabin runs to 96 square metres against roughly 90 for a comparable BBJ2;
• London City. Only the Airbus ACJ318 Elite and A319 CJ hold the certification. If that airport matters, Boeing is out;
• Widebody choice. Boeing offers more of it. The 787 is in production, the 747-8 offers two decks that nothing else can match, and the second-hand widebody fleet is predominantly Boeing;
• Operating cost. MAX variants are the more economical narrowbody on a per-hour basis, which over a long charter can be a meaningful sum;
• Availability on your dates. In practice this decides more bookings than any of the above. Both fleets are small and the aircraft that is free is frequently the aircraft you take.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Boeing Business Jet?
A Boeing airliner completed with a VIP interior instead of airline seating. Boeing Business Jets was established in 1996 as a joint venture between Boeing and General Electric, with the first product based on the 737 Next Generation. Boeing delivers the aircraft green, meaning structurally complete but empty inside, and a specialist completion centre builds the cabin over twelve to twenty-four months. More than 260 have been delivered.

Which Boeing Business Jets are still in production?
The BBJ 737 MAX, offered as the MAX 7, MAX 8 and MAX 9, and the BBJ 787 in 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 form. The original BBJ1, BBJ2 and BBJ3 ended with 737 Next Generation production, the 747-8 ended when the 747 line closed in 2022, and the 777 is no longer built. The 777X has been announced but is not expected before 2027 at the earliest.

How much does it cost to charter a Boeing BBJ?
From approximately £13,000 per flight hour for a narrowbody BBJ or BBJ MAX, £30,000 for a 787 and £35,000 for a VIP 747-8. Rates vary more within a type than in any other category because every cabin is a one-off commission, and a 19-seat VIP layout and a 50-seat government configuration on the same airframe are quoted very differently.

Is the 737 MAX safe to charter?
It was grounded worldwide between March 2019 and November 2020 following two crashes that killed 346 people, and returned to service after changes to flight control software, crew procedures and training. In September 2025 the FAA restored Boeing's authority to issue airworthiness certificates for the type after withholding it for more than six years. These aircraft fly under the same certification as the airline fleet, and any charter is operated under an air operator certificate audited by the relevant national authority.

What is the largest Boeing private jet?
Currently the 747-8, which offers a main deck and an upper deck and is the only two-deck aircraft in private aviation. Eight were delivered as VIP aircraft before production ended. The announced BBJ 777-9 would be larger in single-deck cabin area at 342.7 square metres, bigger than the main deck of a 747-400, but it is not expected to be available before 2027 to 2028.

Can a Boeing BBJ land at London City Airport?
No. No 737-based or larger Boeing holds steep approach certification for London City. Among VIP airliners only the Airbus ACJ318 Elite and A319 CJ can use the airport. Operations in the UK go through Stansted, Luton, Farnborough or Heathrow.

When will the new Air Force One enter service?
The two VC-25B aircraft under contract were originally scheduled for 2024 and are now expected in 2028 or later. A second-hand 747-8 previously operated by Qatar was converted as an interim bridge aircraft and entered service in June 2026. An existing VC-25A pair, based on the 747-200B, has flown the role since 1990. None of these aircraft is available for charter.

Page last updated: July 2026. Boeing Business Jets are VIP-completed airliners rather than purpose-built business jets. Every cabin is completed to individual order, so rates and configurations vary widely within each type. Availability is limited and confirmed at the time of enquiry.

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