Bigger, Faster, & Best

A new generation of flagships—the G700 from Gulfstream Aerospace, Bombardier’s Global 8000, and the Dassault Falcon 6X—are taking command of the world’s ultra-long-range fleets, vying for claim to the greatest range, tallest and widest cabin, maximum operating Mach number, lowest cabin altitude, and other superlatives.

With the three new bizjets coming to market within little more than a year (the Falcon 6X last November, the G700 this April, and the Global 8000 slated for the second half of 2025), bragging rights can be fleeting.

Whatever the differences at the corners of their envelopes, the three new ultra-long range jets—which by most definitions include aircraft with a range of 5,000 or more nautical miles (nm)—feature proprietary cabin systems including circadian-based lighting to ease transitions between time zones; state-of the art air filtration and purification delivering fresh air devoid of pathogens or other impurities; hi-def entertainment and secure high-speed Wi-Fi providing home/office connectivity in the sky; fly-by-wire digital flight controls; and noise-dampening technology that lowers ambient cabin sound levels to some 50 decibels, equivalent to a quiet office. The highest quality interior craftsmanship, styling, and customization options are a given.

One more common trait: For jets that place a premium on speed, the new flagships have been slow out of the gate, entering service two or more years behind schedule for reasons including Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification delays (the G700), project revamping (the Global 8000), and supply chain issues (the Falcon 6X). 

Gulfstream G700

The G700 from Gulfstream Aerospace combines “the very best elements from our most innovative products, and unites them with cutting-edge advances,” says company president Mark Burns. Supplanting the G650, the new flagship takes honors for both longest range at 7,750 nm—50 nm farther than Bombardier’s current flagship, the Global 7500—and as the fastest business jet flying today, with a top speed of Mach 0.935, according to the Savannah, Georgia company. Outfitted with purpose-developed high-thrust Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines and new winglets, the G700 has already established more than 50 city-pair speed records, while opening nonstop routes including New York to Hong Kong; London to Tokyo; and Los Angeles to Dubai.

Inside, the six-foot, three-inch-tall and eight-foot, two-inch-wide interior shares the same cross-section as the G650, but the stretched fuselage adds almost 10 feet to the now 57-foot long main cabin, hosting up to five living areas. An ultragalley, flexible six-place passenger lounge, and grand master suite with shower are among the layout options. At 41,000 feet, cabin altitude is 2,840 feet. 

Price: $81 million (2024)

Bombardier Global 8000

Bombardier aims to retake the longest-range title and add “the fastest business jet ever” to its portfolio with the Global 8000—“the absolute pinnacle of business aviation,” says president and CEO Éric Martel. The new Global’s projected 8,000 nm-plus range will link Houston and Dubai; Los Angeles and Singapore; and London and Perth, and its Mmo (maximum operating speed) limit of Mach 0.94 just outpaces the G700 (a flight test vehicle used for the Global 8000 program briefly went supersonic as part of certification). Moreover, the Global 8000 promises “the first-ever transcontinental ultra-high-speed cruise of Mach 0.92,” the Montreal airframer says.

Sharing the same fuselage and cabin dimensions as the Global 7500 at six-foot, two-inches tall, eight feet wide, and 54 feet, five inches long, the Global 8000 offers a choice of three or four cabin zones with interior options including the category’s largest galley and the largest 4K TV on a business jet (55 inches). A three-zone “open office” executive cabin, designed for corporate collaboration, features Nuage zero-gravity seats. A four-zone cabin offers a principal suite with full-size bed and stand-up shower. Cabin altitude is 2,900 feet at 41,000 feet.

The Global 8000 program launched in 2010 as a longer-legged but shorter cabin version of what became the Global 7500. Few buyers showed interest in trading interior space for range, and in 2022, five years after the Global 8000’s initial 2017 service entry date, Bombardier announced the program’s reconfiguration. The range improvement is mainly achieved by optimizing empty weight and creating more fuel storage capacity, while its next generation GE Passport engines each replace individual fan blades with a single titanium blisk, improving efficiency and saving weight. 

Price: $81 million (2024)

Dassault Falcon 6X

Though last among the three in range and airspeed, the Falcon 6X from Dassault Aviation achieves the largest advance in the category, signaling the French aerospace company’s intent to challenge the Bombardier-Gulfstream ultra-long-range duopoly. Branded as “the first ultra-widebody” purpose-built business jet, the 6X features the tallest and widest cabin in business aviation, at six feet, six inches high, and eight feet, six inches wide.

“Times and trends change,” says Carlos Brana, executive vice-president, civil aviation, of the break from the Falcon’s traditionally modest cabin cross sections. “Passengers want space and the comforts of home, especially on long flights.”

Range-wise, at 5,500 nm—though some 2,500 nm short of the G700 and Global 8000, and 1,000 nm less than Dassault’s own Falcon 8X—the 6X can link London and Hong Kong; Los Angeles and Geneva; and Beijing and San Francisco. The new Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW812D engines deliver an Mmo of Mach 0.90, along with double-digit improvements in fuel efficiency and emissions over current-generation turbofans.

The 40-foot, four-inch-long cabin is configured in three zones, with options including a large entryway, a spacious rear lounge, and a crew rest area. Its industry-first skylight over the galley area adds to the natural light, as do 30 windows, each some 10 percent larger than in current-generation Falcons. Cabin altitude is 3,900 feet 41,000 feet.

The 6X also features flaperons—a combination aileron and flap that optimize performance and handling—and the FalconScan diagnostics system, which monitors and reports on 100,000 6X maintenance parameters, both Falcon firsts.

Introduced in 2017, the 6X takes its fuselage cross-section from the canceled Falcon 5X program, shelved due to development snags with its intended Safran Silvercrest powerplant. Meanwhile, Dassault’s forthcoming Falcon 10X, scheduled for service entry in 2027, will offer a projected 7,500-nm range and an even more expansive cabin at six feet, eight inches tall, nine feet, one inch wide, and 53 feet, 10 inches long, further escalating the aerial range wars.

Price: $54.9 million (2024)

In the interim, bragging rights remain in play. Gulfstream hopes to bring its G800 to market—an 8,000-nm range follow-on to the G700—before Bombardier’s Global 8000 enters service next year. A replacement for the G650/650ER, the G800 mates the G650ER fuselage with the G700’s wings. Precise range is undefined and Mmo is currently specified at Mach 0.925, but don’t be surprised if Gulfstream tries to reclaim both the range and speed titles atop the leaderboard before the forthcoming jet’s official performance numbers are announced.