Boeing Business Jets Offers Engine Pusher Program for VIP 747-8 Intercontinental
GENEVA, May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) today announced the first five customers for 747-8 Intercontinental VIP airplanes will have the option to use loaned GEnx-2B engines that will be replaced with the latest production-configuration GEnx engines upon completion of the airplanes' interiors. Called the GE Pusher Program, Boeing will use GEnx engines from flight test airplanes or the lease pool to ferry the 747-8 Intercontinental VIPs to the completion center of the customer's choice.
"At Boeing Business Jets, we work very closely with our customers to ensure we're providing the products and services that best fit their needs," said Capt. Steve Taylor, Boeing Business Jets president.
"In the case of the 747-8 Intercontinental VIP, where the interior completion is expected to take 18 to 24 months, our customers asked us to defer installation of the GEnx-2B engines until just prior to putting the airplanes in service. We worked with our partners at GE to develop this great solution for our customers," said Taylor.
The GE Pusher Program will enable customers to not worry about engine maintenance while the airplane sits in completion. Customers will receive brand new engines that will include any performance improvements that GE has incorporated into the production GEnx-2B engine configuration at the time of engine delivery.
"Customers will save money on the normal engine maintenance costs that they normally need to perform as the interior completion work is performed, and they will receive new GEnx-2B engines that have the latest technology," said Bill Fitzgerald, vice president and general manager of GE's GEnx Program.
The engine program is being offered for the first five 747-8 Intercontinental VIPs only. Boeing Business Jets and GE are considering expanding the program to other VIP airplanes in the future. The first of the five 747-8 Intercontinental VIPs is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2011.
---
Boeing, Greenpoint Technologies Team on 747-8 VIP Modifications
WICHITA, Kan., May 16, 2011 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has been selected by Greenpoint Technologies Inc. (GTI) to install GTI's Aeroloft modification on four new 747-8 Intercontinental VIP airplanes purchased by customers of Boeing Business Jets. Greenpoint Technologies is a recognized Boeing Business Jets completion center in Kirkland, Wash.
The airplanes will be modified starting later this year at Boeing's Global Transport & Executive Systems (GTES) facility in Wichita.
"Boeing is excited to be part of the team that will provide this capability for the new 747-8 Intercontinental," said Boeing GTES Director and General Manager Steve Wade. "GTES has a long history of modifying Boeing's commercial platforms -- including 747 VIP airplanes -- and we hope this is the first of many opportunities to support GTI on similar projects."
The Aeroloft is a passenger area installed above the 747-8 Intercontinental's main deck between doors four and five, forward of the overhead crew rest. The modification includes installation of a staircase, an entry vestibule, a lounge, sleeping berths, and a crew rest adapter module. GTI is the exclusive provider of this product. More information about the Aeroloft is available at www.greenpnt.com/portfolio.xml.
"Partnering with GTES on the Aeroloft installation is an ideal solution," said GTI President Scott Goodey. "Our working relationship spans more than 10 years of GTI support for executive head-of-state interior modifications. This combined expertise benefits our customers with a beautiful, reliable product."
The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental VIP represents a new benchmark in fuel efficiency and noise reduction, allowing customers to lower fuel costs and fly into more airports at more times of day. The 747-8 Intercontinental is 16 percent more fuel-efficient than the Boeing 747-400, and 11 percent more fuel-efficient than the Airbus A380.
GTES, part of the Global Services & Support business unit of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, is a Boeing commercial derivative business headquartered in Wichita, with major domestic operations in Oklahoma City and the Puget Sound area of Washington state. GTES supports all Boeing aircraft in the U.S. Air Force's executive fleet, including VC-25, C-32A and C-40B/C, as well as the National Command Authority's E-4B and the U.S. Navy’s C-40A and E-6B.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative, capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 66,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.
Source: 
