Jet Aviation Basel has been selected to complete the interior of a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for an undisclosed customer in the Middle East. 

Announcing the order on the first day of the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (Ebace) in Geneva, Switzerland, the company said the VVIP aircraft is to be delivered to the Basel completions centre in 2015 for a two-year completions cycle.

In 2011, Jet Aviation Basel took the initiative and appointed a team of its best engineers to work closely with  Boeing to prepare for its first completion of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Since then, the company has developed new technologies and processes, including new methods of engineering data management, to support the completion of this new generation aircraft, according to the company.

As these efforts were well recognised in the industry, Jet Aviation Basel’s completions centre was selected by the client from the Middle East to engineer, manufacture and install a VVIP cabin interior on the world’s first private Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, it adds.

Delivery of the aircraft is expected in 2018. To meet this commitment, Jet Aviation has intensified its co-operation with Boeing over the past several months to establish a seamless flow of data between the two organisations. The company will continue to work with the manufacturer to best ensure the success of this first 787-9 completions project.

“We have a precise understanding of the data required by Boeing for the Dreamliner to validate the modification of systems and structures,” says Neil Boyle, vice president and general manager of the completions centre at Jet Aviation Basel. “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 traditional metallic aircraft by the Final Design Review. In this sense, Jet Aviation truly is writing ‘the rule book’ for completing carbon fibre aircraft.”

Boeing Business Jets President David Longridge adds: “We are very excited to work with Jet Aviation Basel closely as they complete the first BBJ 787-9 Dreamliner that we sold. It is a milestone project for us at Boeing Business Jets and we are confident that the customer will be very satisfied with the work done by Jet Aviation Basel.”

Jet Aviation Group President Rob Smith says: “We have long been recognised as a completions centre that provides premium quality interiors. To ensure we continue to meet the high standards of our discerning clients, we have heavily invested in this advanced aviation technology. We are now eager to apply our new capabilities on the Dreamliner.”

The elaborate VVIP interior designed by Andrew Winch Design (AWD) features a master bedroom, bathroom and office suite, a large open-plan dining and living area, as well as room for guests. The interior will also feature a state-of-the-art communications system, along with a sophisticated lighting, heating and sound-proofing package, all intended to ensure the highest levels of passenger comfort in the air.Jet Aviation Basel is a world-renowned completions and maintenance centre employing more than 1,600 professionals. The facility has in-house design and engineering departments, along with on-site cabinetry, upholstery, sheet metal, composite and paint shops. The organisation is capable of outfitting jets as large as an Airbus A380 or the Boeing 747-8 series and has already completed numerous Airbus ACJ319, ACJ320, ACJ330, ACJ340 and Boeing B737, B757 and B747-400 aircraft. 

Jet Aviation Basel also provides aircraft maintenance and repair services for a wide variety of business jets. It is a factory approved service centre by Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer and Gulfstream. The location also holds a jet aircraft repair station  rating  by  the  FAA  #QV1Y440K,  and  the EASA #CH.145.0232 in  addition  to  approval  certificates of  21 other national aviation authorities.

A wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics of the US, Jet Aviation was founded in Switzerland in 1967 and is one of the leading business aviation services companies in the world. Close to 5,000 employees cater to client needs from more than 25 airport facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North and South America.  

The company provides maintenance, completions and refurbishment, engineering, FBO and fuel services, along with aircraft management, charter services, aircraft sales and personnel services. Jet Aviation's European and US aircraft management and charter divisions jointly operate a fleet of more than 250 aircraft.

Jet Aviation is at Booth A050 at Ebace, which runs until May 21 at the Palexpo centre in Geneva.