Page 10 - AAA MAY - JUNE 2016 Online Magazine

COVER STORY

In for the Long Haul

2016 will be a challenging year for manufacturers of large cabin business jets
By Atul Chandra

LARGE CABIN BUSINESS jETS HAVE aircraft and early customers even turned generation business jets. Bombardier has the
been money spinners for airframers like a profit when their aircraft were put up highest industry backlog for business jets
Bombardier, Gulfstream and Dassault for sale. Gulfstream decided to better the which is worth US$17.2 billion and is currently
Aviation for a few years now. Gulfstream G650 and the result was the G650ER, which readjusting its business aircraft production
was the early leader in long range large can fly further and faster than any other volumes as demand for business jets declines
cabin business jets, with the introduction business jet in the market today. With the in markets such as Russia, Middle East and
of the highly successful G650 in 2008. G650 and G650ER, Gulfstream has had an China. The company reported earlier this
The G650 quickly caught the fancy of unchallenged run at the top of the business year that Global 5000, Global 6000 and
business jet owners and despite the price, jet market. Bombardier’s reply to the G650 Challenger 650 sales remain healthy. The
its attributes of speed, range, comfort and and 650ER are the ultra-large-cabin Global Global 7000 programme remains on track for
ramp appeal, quickly catapulted the G650 7000 and Global 8000 business jets. The its first flight later this year. The ultra-long
to the top of the charts. Customers have Canadian airframer is hoping to replicate its range business jet will have the ability to fly
had to wait years to take delivery of their success with the Global 6000 with the new 7,400 NM (13,705 km) at M 0.8, while carrying

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