Bombardier’s Global 8000 will finally see the light of day

Shelved because Bombardier was busy completing the business jet that became its flagship, the Global 8000 will finally see the light of day, but with a few modifications. The Quebec aircraft manufacturer claims that it is the fastest aircraft in the wide-cabin category.

Julien Arsenault
The Press

Presented on Monday at the European business aviation show Ebace, in Geneva, Switzerland, this super luxurious aircraft should enter service in 2025 and will compete with Gulfstream’s G700 models and Dassault’s Falcon 10X.

Initially, the Global 8000 was to be shorter than the Global 7500 – Bombardier’s current flagship – and offer greater range. Interest did not seem to be there in the market, however, which prompted the multinational to keep a more spacious cabin.

“We were evaluating an aircraft that flew farther but offered less space,” said Bombardier spokesman Mark Masluch. The Press. The answer, what customers didn’t want from this compromise. »

The Global 8000 will be able to travel 8,000 nautical miles (14,800 kilometers), or 500 more than its little brother. Its top speed will be Mach 0.94 (about 1151 km/h). The aircraft will be able to make direct connections between cities such as Singapore and Los Angeles as well as Dubai and Houston. By comparison, the Global 7500 offers a range of 7,700 nautical miles (14,260 kilometers).

It is mainly thanks to the performance optimization of the Passport engine, built by General Electric, that Bombardier is able to offer a large cabin aircraft that can fly this far. Once in service, the Global 8000 will replace the Global 7500 in Bombardier’s portfolio.

The device presented Monday costs 78 million US, or 3 million US more than the Global 7500. It will continue to be assembled in Toronto and its interior finishing will be done in Montreal.

The request does not ring off

Business aviation has been on a roll since the start of the pandemic. COVID-19 has prompted the ultra-rich and the more affluent to opt for air travel to get around. Manufacturers of luxury jets are accumulating orders and their order books are overflowing.

“Even though lights are signaling that the economy [risque de ralentir]business aviation activity continues to hold above pre-pandemic levels,” said analyst firm WingX.

Globally, since the beginning of May, activity has increased by 13% compared to 2019, before the health crisis. There are no signs of a slowdown on the horizon, according to WingX. Bombardier won 60 orders during the first three months of the year. Its ratio of new orders to shipments reached 2.5 as of March 31.

The aircraft manufacturer has delivered just over 100 Global 7500s since the aircraft entered service at the end of 2018. Aircraft owners will be able to purchase an upgrade to increase the range of their private jet.