Jet Aviation Wins Completions Contract for First VIP 787

Jet Aviation is preparing to complete the interior of the first privately-owned Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The work, which is being done for an undisclosed Middle Eastern customer at the company's Basel, Switzerland, facility, will take just over two years and is due for delivery in 2018.

The company's engineers have been working with Boeing on specifications and preparations for VIP versions of the Dreamliner since 2011. Since winning the contract, Jet Aviation (Booth A050) has stepped up its cooperation with the airframer to establish a seamless flow of technical data between the two companies.

The aircraft interior has been developed by the UK's Andrew Winch Design and features a master bedroom, bathroom and office suite, a large open-plan dining and living area, as well as separate rooms for guests. It will also be equipped with a state-of-the-art communications system, along with a sophisticated lighting, heating and soundproofing package. Boeing Business Jets president David Longridge described the 787-9 VIP completion as a "milestone project."

"We have a precise understanding of the data required by Boeing for the Dreamliner to validate the modification of systems and structures," said Neil Boyle, vice president and general manager of the Jet Aviation Basel facility. "Developing this degree of engineering specification so early in a project is unprecedented. As a basis of comparison, such engineering maturity is typically only attained with the traditional metallic aircraft by the final design review. In this sense, Jet Aviation truly is writing 'the rule book' for completing carbon fiber aircraft."

In March, Jet Aviation won a contract from an undisclosed Asian customer to complete the interiors of a pair of Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The work has already begun at the Basel facility and deliveries are scheduled for the third quarter of 2018. Since it was established in 1977, Jet Aviation's Swiss completions center has completed more than 200 aircraft, including 25 Boeing jets since 1999.

AINonline