Swiss-based charter and aircraft management specialist PrivatAir has become one of the first purchasers of an executive/VIP version of Boeing's new 787 airliner. The aircraft will complement PrivatAir's already substantial Boeing fleet, which includes a 767, a 757, a BBJ2 and three BBJs. Acquisition of the 787-which can carry 30 to 40 passengers nonstop to any city in the world-underlines "a growing demand from business travelers for long-range and large-cabin aircraft," according to a PrivatAir spokesman.

That demand is apparent in the rest of Boeing's order book for executive/VIP 787s. The company has sold five directly to the buyers and two more to leasing companies on behalf of end-users who wanted the airplanes sooner than they could have gotten them by purchasing directly from Boeing.