A major story from EBACE in Geneva is that Bombardier unveiled the Global 8000, which it says is the world’s fastest and longest-range purpose-built business jet, with a range of 8,000 nautical miles (good for routes such as Singapore-Los Angeles or London-Perth) and a top speed of Mach 0.94. The aircraft, a development of the Global 7500 platform, is still under development and is expected to enter service in 2025.
The anticipated performance is impressive, and so too is the passenger experience, with four spacious personalised suites, including the option of a Principal Suite with a full-size bed and ensuite bathroom with stand-up shower.
The experience will be further enhanced as Bombardier says the Global 8000 will feature ‘the healthiest cabin in the industry’, a claim made based on it having the lowest cabin altitude in its class: 2,900ft when flying at 41,000ft. It is also equipped with smooth ride technology, and Bombardier’s Pũr Air and advanced HEPA filter technology for clean cabin air and rapid replacement of fresh air.
Various passenger comfort features introduced on the Global 7500 aircraft will also be carried over into the Global 8000, including the Soleil circadian lighting system to help combat jet lag, and the Nuage seat with the first-ever zero gravity position. You can see how the Nuage seat works in THIS VIDEO.
Customers can also enjoy cabin entertainment control and connectivity features including the ‘Nice’ Touch CMS and OLED touch dial from Lufthansa Technik (the only OLED display dial certified in business aviation), and Bombardier’s l’Opéra directional audio sound system and available 4K monitor.
The development programme for the Global 8000 aircraft is ongoing, with an expected entry into service of 2025. Current Global 7500 operators can also upgrade their jet to match the performance of the Global 8000, as a retrofit programme of engineering enhancements such as the Smooth Flex Wing and super-efficient Passport engines, will become available when the aircraft enters into service in 2025.
Test flight
The performance of the Global 8000 aircraft was first demonstrated in May 2021, on a demonstration flight with a Global 7500 flight test vehicle. The aircraft, accompanied by a NASA F/A-18 chase plane, repeatably achieved speeds in excess of Mach 1.015, a key step in enabling a maximum Mach operating speed (MMO) of M0.94 and becoming what Bombardier says is the fastest business jet in the world and the fastest in civil aviation since Concorde. During the demonstration flight, the aircraft also became the first Transport Category airplane to fly supersonic with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
