Beijing, April 11 (IANS): Boeing on Tuesday said its Boeing Business Jet variants for the corporate jet market have seen continuous growth in China with a fleet of 29 aircraft in operation.

"The figure shows that the BBJ fleet has tripled [in China] over the last five years in this burgeoning market," Xinhua news agency quoted Greg Laxton, vice president with Boeing Business Jets, as saying at a business airshow in Shanghai.

"We are confident that strong growth will continue in China. We expect the new BBJ MAX family to be very popular in this market with additional cabin space and significant range increases."

Boeing said the BBJ fleet in China would continue to expand in 2017 with two BBJs, one BBJ 2 and one BBJ 787 entering service. In 2018, two BBJ MAX 8s will be delivered to customers.

Boeing Business Jets has signed an agreement with Ameco Beijing to serve as an official BBJ Warranty Service Centre. The agreement allows BBJ customers in China to receive customised support for their aircraft.

"We are committed to offering world-class customer support to customers in China. This new agreement is another way for them to access support that is fast and customized to their specific needs," Laxton said.

Boeing and GE jointly initiated Boeing Business Jets in 1996. To date the company has more than 400 jets in operation worldwide.