Aircraft in 2024: Bigger, Better, Bolder

The 2024 Honeywell Aerospace forecast predicts the delivery of 8,500 new business jets over the next decade. But how will these aircraft differ from today’s aircraft in terms of features and performance, and which trends have emerged? Airframers took several steps into that future with key advancements this year.

Longer, Wider, Faster Gulfstream’s New Flagships

Perhaps the most notable advancement was the U.S. certification of Gulfstream Aerospace’s G700 in late March. That milestone had followed two years of delays largely stemming from more extensive reviews and stricter certification requirements that followed in the wake of the Boeing Max crashes.

Upon completing certification, Gulfstream president and CEO Mark Burns declared: “We have successfully completed the most rigorous certification program in company history with the G700...The G700 brings a new level of performance and cabin comfort to business aviation and is doing so while meeting the highest certification standards our industry has ever seen.”

Importantly, not only did the approval clear the way for the 7,750-nm twinjet to reach market in the U.S., but certification also opened the door to a stream of international validations; within a little more than the subsequent 100 days, Gulfstream had already picked up eight international approvals along with a nod from EASA that came in mid-May. Those validations have continued to expand.

In addition to racking up approvals, Gulfstream is full steam ahead on training as it began delivery of the aircraft, with 100 customer pilots (80 corporate pilots and 20 instructors) receiving type ratings by the end of September. Deliveries have begun to pick up pace as well, but not at the rate originally anticipated, with plans to ship the first 50 out the door this year scaled back to 42.

Another key for the approval of the G700 is that it also clears the plate to an extent for Gulfstream on the even longer-range G800. The 8,000-nm sibling, which took to the skies in June 2022, was anticipated to trail G700 approval by six to nine months. However, the company has been quiet on any update to that.

Gulfstream’s new flagships build on its wildly successful G650/ER. The G700, however, adds a 10-foot cabin stretch yielding up to five separate living zones and an overall interior length of 57 feet.

While the G700 offers many cabin layouts and seemingly endless finer details, what makes it a true luxe long-hauler is the available “Grand Suite” in the aft fuselage. It’s the closest thing to a five-star hotel room in a production business jet. It can be equipped with a curved-edge, queen-size bed opposite a full-size dresser.

The adjacent aft lavatory features two windows, a stand-up closet, a large vanity, and an optional stand-up shower. The lavatory also provides in-flight access to the pressurized, 195-cubic-foot baggage hold, which can convey 2,500 pounds.

The G700’s Symmetry digital flight deck was first introduced on the G500 and G600. Based on Honeywell’s Primus Epic system, the avionics of all three are so similar that G500/G600 pilots can qualify to fly the G700 with transition training. The cockpit features BAE active control sidesticks linked to a triple-redundant computerized fly-by-wire flight control system.

Power comes from a pair of Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines that each deliver 18,250 pounds of thrust. The Pearls are improved derivatives of the BR725 engines on the G650 series and are cleaner and more efficient. They provide 8% more thrust while consuming 3.5% less fuel and meet or exceed international standards for noise and nitrous-oxide emissions. The G700 has a range of 7,750 nm at Mach 0.85 (6,650 at Mach 0.90) and maximum operating Mach number is 0.935.

Meanwhile, the G800, which was unveiled in 2021 alongside the smaller G400, shares a wing, tail, fuselage cross-section, flight deck, and Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 turbofans with the G700. The follow-on to the G650ER, the longer-legged aircraft, however, is 10 feet shorter than the 700, akin to its predecessor aircraft.

Meanwhile, Gulfstream’s busy R&D schedule continues to hum along with the G400, which marked its first flight on August 15, flying for almost three hours, reaching a top speed of Mach 0.85 and an altitude of 41,000 feet. That flight was conducted using the manufacturer’s supply of blended sustainable aviation fuel.

Powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PW812GA engines, the G400 will be able to fly 4,200 nm at Mach 0.85. It features the advanced high-speed wing and winglet design as used by its G500 and G600 siblings, along with the Symmetry flight deck and predictive landing performance system.

With the additions of the G400 and G800, Gulfstream’s lineup has grown to six aircraft.

Dassault’s Widening Product Line

Dassault Aviation this year has been working to spool up on production and begin a flow of deliveries of its new clean-sheet wide-cabin offering, the Falcon 6X. At the same time, it is increasing activity around its entrant in the ultra, ultra-long range category, the 7,500-nm 10X.

The first of the long-range 6X model entered service late last year after EASA certification and FAA validation in August 2023. “The 6X is arriving,” declared Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier during the company’s half-year results release in July. “It went through a certain number of delays because the certification was postponed, and the first deliveries are not easy because of the problems in the supply chain.” 

Even so, the aircraft is proving to have a smooth entry into service. This year, the airframer brought the aircraft on a world tour, involving 400 flights and 600 hours. The results, according to Trappier: “a very good reliability.”

Introduced in February 2018, the clean-sheet 12- to 14-passenger 6X has pushed Dassault into a new cabin class with the largest cross-section of any—currently—in-production, purpose-designed business jet: 8.5 feet wide, 6.5 feet high, and just over 40 feet long yielding 1,843 cubic feet of volume. A skylight illuminates the entryway, and 30 windows flood the space with natural light. All that room allows for a good deal of flexibility, including the ability to have conference table seating for six and a comfortable aft stateroom.

The wider cabin also makes it possible for the 6X to offer a bigger galley. The 155-cubic-foot baggage compartment is accessible in flight, plus there are another 76 cubic feet of unpressurized baggage space. The environmental system delivers a cabin altitude of 3,900 feet while the aircraft is at 41,000 feet. The air filtration system both circulates and refreshes air every two to three minutes.

The 6X can use runways as short as 3,000 feet (partially loaded) while carrying 33,700 pounds of fuel, delivering a range of 5,500 nm (eight passengers, three crew, and a cruising speed of Mach 0.80), or 5,100 nautical miles at Mach 0.85, and a top speed of Mach 0.90. The airplane is designed to stay aloft for up to 12 hours, and the range enables city pairs that include Los Angeles–London, Sao Paulo–Chicago, and Paris–Beijing. The 6X features a next-generation fly-by-wire flight control system and the new EASy IV cockpit, based on Honeywell’s Primus Epic avionics. Power comes from a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW812D engines that deliver 13,500 pounds of thrust each.

With the 6X completed, Trappier added, the company is now turning its research and development funding resources into what will become its flagship atop the Falcon lineup, the 10X. The even wider cabin model, however, has suffered from similar supply chain issues, prompting Dassault to push off the market entry target by two years to 2027.

Even so, production on the model has progressed throughout the year. During EBACE, Trappier noted that the first examples of major assemblies—including the all-composite wings, fuselage, and empennage sections—have been built at Dassault and its partner factories. Final assembly was expected to begin later this year at Dassault’s facility in Bordeaux-Mérignac. And notably, Rolls-Royce confirmed in October that it has completed the flight test campaign for the Pearl 10X turbofan powering its Falcon namesake.

The 10X has a 2,780-cu-ft cabin that sets it apart from competitors, supplanting the 6X with the largest cross-section of a purpose-built business jet with an interior width of 9 feet 1 inch and height of 6 feet 8 inches.

Dassault is leveraging its experience manufacturing composite wings for the Rafale fighter jet, and the 10X’s highly swept wing will be made of carbon fiber composite materials. The 10X will be Dassault’s first commercial airplane with composite wings. A big change on the 10X is the T-tail configuration of the empennage, a switch away from the distinctive-looking cruciform and downward-canted horizontal stabilizers on earlier Falcons.

Global 7500’s Evolution into the 8000

Meanwhile, upping its own ante and keeping the top end of the market fiercely competitive, Bombardier is progressing with the certification of the Global 8000 anticipated next year. As the testing program for Bombardier’s new flagship Global 8000 nears completion, the Canadian airframer announced during NBAA-BACE in October that it has begun construction of the first production model. It will be the first built from the wheels up as an 8000 since modified Global 7500s were used for the test program.

By late October, the program approached 300 hours of testing.

The successor to the 7,700-nm Global 7500 will feature a range of 8,000 nm at a long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85, allowing it to connect city pairs such as Singapore–Los Angeles, Dubai–Houston, and London–Perth. Top speed will be Mach 0.94.

A retrofit kit will be available for Global 7500 customers looking to bring their aircraft to the 8000 standard, a process that will take approximately 10 days in a Bombardier service center, according to Paul Sislian, Bombardier’s executive v-p for aftermarket services and strategy. It will include a larger fuel capacity as well as avionics and engine software changes.

Defending the Middle Citation’s Ascension

Through a variety of upgrades and enhancements, Cessna’s Citation Excel/XLS series of midsize jets is deep into its third decade of production, and Textron Aviation is determined to keep the platform relevant after more than 1,000 deliveries. The latest variant, the Citation Ascend, is currently in flight testing, and deliveries are expected to start next year.

Textron Aviation showed P1, one of two flight test airplanes and the first in production configuration, to media in September.

Announced during the 2023 edition of EBACE, the Ascend features a revised cabin with a standard flat floor, improved seating, more in-cabin storage, a wireless cabin management system, better connectivity via the Gogo Avance L3 or optional Avance L5 systems, a plethora of charging ports, larger cabin windows, and enhanced cabin sound insulation.

Garmin G5000 avionics include synthetic vision that supports approach minima as low as 150 feet. Power comes from a pair of Fadec Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545D engines with autothrottles that feature a more efficient high-pressure compressor, an enhanced single-stage high-pressure turbine module, and an upgraded exhaust mixer.

Performance targets include a 441-knot cruise speed, a 1,900 nm range (four passengers) at high cruise power, and the ability to climb direct to 45,000 feet.

Recharging the Light Brigade A New Generation of CJs

In October, Textron Aviation unveiled the Gen3 models of its popular Cessna Citation M2, CJ3, and CJ4 light jets. The rollouts marked the only major program updates to be revealed in 2024 at the OEM level. No new aircraft were unveiled, either.

All three will be equipped with Garmin Autoland and the avionics in the CJ4 will be upgraded to the new Garmin G3000 Prime system. Prime includes interactive multi-touch technology, larger secondary displays, and fewer buttons.

CJ4 Gen3 will enter service in 2026 and the other two models in 2027. All three will be equipped with Garmin autothrottles, runway occupancy awareness, and 3D Safe Taxi. Owners of Gen2 M2s with autothrottles and CJ3 Gen2s will be able to incorporate Autoland via service bulletin once Gen3 aircraft are certified.

Individual model upgrades on the CJ4 Gen3 include True Blue Power lithium-ion batteries, new winglets and winglet lighting, new cockpit lighting, and better cabin acoustics. The CJ4 Gen3 is expected to have a maximum range of 2,165 nm, maximum payload of 2,200 pounds, 1,040-pound baggage capacity, and seating for up to 11 occupants.

With seating for up to 10, the CJ3 Gen3 adds 4.5 more inches of pilot legroom, swiveling single executive passenger seats, and RGB accent lighting. Maximum range is 2,040 nm, maximum payload is 2,135 pounds, and baggage capacity is 1,000 pounds.

The M2 Gen3 adds new interior styling, ambient lighting, remastered and illuminated cupholders, an optional folding side-facing seat, wireless charging, and USB A and C ports at each seat. The M2 Gen3 has a maximum range of 1,550 nm, maximum payload of 1,510 pounds, baggage capacity of 725 pounds, and seating for up to eight.

Refreshed Pilatus PC-24

Pilatus Aircraft began delivery of its upgraded PC-24 earlier this year and debuted it in April at the Aero Friedrichshafen general aviation show in Germany. Unveiled just before NBAA-BACE in October, the upgrades include a 600-pound increase in payload (for a maximum of 3,100 pounds), boosting range to 2,040 nm, and a new 6-foot, 6-inch side-facing divan that can convert into a bed.

Payload was increased with refinements in the wing and fuselage structural elements, which reduced empty weight and increased the maximum takeoff weight limit. Weight was reduced by 300 kilograms (660 pounds), “which means a lot more range,” said Ursula Widmer, marketing manager at the Swiss airframer. In addition, storage space was optimized.

Other interior refinements included a reduction in ambient noise levels, and new cabinets designed to optimize space. A new cabin management system from Lufthansa Technik features a 10-inch touchscreen controller with 3D moving map, four high-fidelity cabin speakers with a sub-woofer option, mood lighting, USB ports, and a media storage server. Another addition—a health usage and monitoring system that transfers data directly to Pilatus on landing to aid in providing predictive maintenance services.

Honda HA-480 Echelon

Honda Aircraft officially greenlit development of its new, longer, and longer-range light jet last year and has been working toward first flight, anticipated in 2026, followed by entry into service in 2028. Honda already claims letters of intent for more than 350 of the aircraft. It builds on the design of the shorter HA-420, which posted its 250th delivery at the start of 2024.

Compared with the HA-420, the new model will sport a fuselage that is 4.5 inches taller and 1 inch wider, and an interior that is 25.4 feet long. Three main cabin layouts are available with seating for up to 11. Combined baggage stowage is 120 cubic feet. With one pilot and four passengers, the aircraft has a maximum range of 2,625 nm and a top cruising speed of 450 knots. The HA-420 and -480 will share a common type certificate.

The avionics suite is built around the Garmin 3000 system with Autoland, autobrakes, and autothrottles. Power comes from a pair of Williams International FJ44-4C turbofans. Honda claims the Echelon will be 20% more efficient than comparable light jets and 40% more than midsize business aircraft.

Compared to other light jets, according to Honda Aircraft, the Echelon should be 20% more efficient “on typical missions” and 40% better than midsize jets. It will be powered by two Williams International FJ44-4C turbofans and carry up to 11 occupants. Maximum cruise speed will be 450 ktas and maximum altitude FL470, where cabin altitude will be 6,363 feet. 

Turboprops for the Times Piper's Fury

The FAA certified Piper’s new $4.15 million M700 single-engine flagship in March and FIKI (flight into known icing) approval followed in May. Foreign certifications are ongoing, and by mid-year, the company had handed over the first seven copies to customers.

Certification came just a few months after Piper unveiled its newest and top-of-the-line M-Class turboprop single in February.

The aircraft comes standard with the Halo safety system, featuring Garmin Emergency Autoland. It also features the G3000 avionics suite with autothrottle, emergency descent mode, electronic stability protection, SurfaceWatch, SafeTaxi, and PlaneSync.

Powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-52 700-shp engine, the M700 has a maximum cruise speed of 301 knots, a max range of 1,852 nm at a 206-knot cruising speed, and a standard useful load of 2,320 pounds. The new engine adds 100 shaft horsepower over Piper’s M600 SLS progenitor. The new engine is mated to a Hartzell five-bladed composite propeller. The combination yields a climb rate of 2,048 feet per minute and a faster climb time, and it enables the use of 2,000-foot runways for takeoff and landing.

Beechcraft Denali

Delays with GE’s fuel-efficient Catalyst engine have pushed the anticipated certification for Textron Aviation’s new $6.95 million turboprop single into next year. But the airframer continued to make strides in its development including kicking off certification flight testing earlier this year.

GE hopes to have the new 1,300-shp engine certified by the end of this year. The company claims it is 18% more fuel efficient overall and delivers 10% more power at cruise altitude.

Preliminary performance numbers for the Denali include a maximum range of 1,600 nm, maximum cruise speed of 285 knots, and full fuel payload of 1,100 pounds. The flat-floor cabin can accommodate up to nine passengers and can be reconfigured for all-cargo or combi operations, facilitated by an oversized rear door.

The aircraft’s single executive cabin seats, which will meet the latest FAR Part 23 standards, are larger than those in the Beechcraft King Air 260 and were developed specifically for the Denali. Garmin G3000 avionics in the Denali are integrated with Autoland, autothrottle, and single-lever power control in a cockpit designed to ease pilot workload, according to Textron Aviation.

—AIN Media Group staff contributed to this report