With a range of 8,000 nautical miles (about 15,000 km) and a top speed of 1,160 kmph, Global 8000 is said to be the business jet that would set pace for other manufacturers
On Tuesday, Canadian transport equipment manufacturer Bombardier unveiled Global 8000, said to be the world’s fastest and longest-range business jet. With a range of 8,000 nautical miles (about 15,000 km) and a top speed of Mach 0.94 (1,160 kmph), Global 8000 is said to be the business jet that would set pace for other manufacturers in this highly competitive space.
“Today, Bombardier solidifies once more its position as the leader in business aviation with the newest member of the industry-leading Global family,” Éric Martel, Bombardier’s president and chief executive officer, said at the launch event. “The Global 8000 aircraft leverages the outstanding attributes of the Global 7500 aircraft, providing our customers with a flagship aircraft of a new era. We remain unmatched, which for an innovation-focused team like us, is great,” Martel added.
Bombardier has been working on the idea of the new airplane for a while now. It showcased some of the proposed capabilities of the plane during a demonstration flight last year when it used a modified version of Global-7500 that was developed for the test.
Bombardier says that the test aircraft, that was accompanied by a NASA F/A-18 aircraft, repeatedly achieved speeds in excess of Mach 1.015, that is considered to be a key step in enabling a maximum Mach Operating speed (MMO) of M0.94 and becoming the fastest business jet in the world and the fastest in civil aviation since the Concorde.
Incidentally, Bombardier has kept up with the evolution towards sustainability in the aviation and transport industries as during the demonstration flight, the test aircraft became the first Transport Category airplane to fly supersonic with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The plane also comes with next generation fly-by-wire technology and blend of cutting-edge avionics with exceptional ergonomics and aesthetics for remarkable comfort and control in the cockpit, claims Bombardier.
Not just sustainability and advanced avionics, the aircraft also comes with a wide range of creature comforts such as a Principal Suite with a full-sized bed and a stand-up shower in the En-suite. Bombardier says that the Global-8000 also packs in a ‘revolutionary cabin entertainment control and connectivity’ ensuring passengers receive an ‘unrivalled cabin experience’.
Key to Bombardier’s survival
The development of Global-8000 comes in the backdrop of a decision taken by the Canadian aircraft maker to completely exit the commercial aviation business and focus just on the business jets that cater exclusively to the highly select ultra-high net-worth individuals (UHNIs), or billionaires in simpler language.
Until 2017, Bombardier had been the third player in the commercial aviation business, besides the giants Boeing and Airbus. However, its attempt to also manufacture long-haul aircraft besides its relatively popular CRJ regional jets led to its downfall. Bombardier had planned launching A220 aircraft, a 150-passenger single aisle aircraft, to go in a head-on competition with the Big 2, but it ended up under a crushing debt due to the spiralling cost of the ambitious programme that left it under the load of USD 9.7 billion in debt.
Finally, in 2017 it began pulling back from the commercial airspace, having been forced to sell off its CRJ business to the Japanese heavyweight Mitsubishi which also has its eyes towards the skies. The same year it also conceded a 50.1 pc stake in the A220 programme, then known as CSeries. Finally, in 2020, the Canadian firm exited the space entirely, selling off its remaining stake in CSeries to Airbus for USD 591 million.
By launching the Global-8000 aircraft, Bombardier hopes to take a lead in the highly competitive market that exclusively serves the crème de la crème of the world and which has not been dented at all by the Covid-19 pandemic as demand for business jets remains robust throughout.
Global-8000 is expected to enter service in 2025 and will go head-on with other high-end planes like Falcon 10X by French Dassault Aviation and Gulfstream G700 by General Dynamics. Positioning the new plane at the top of the heap, Bombardier says that the list price of Global-8000 will be USD 78 million, more than the USD 75 million list price of Falcon 10X and Gulfstream G700.
