Bombardier's Challenger 3500 Enters Service

Bombardier’s next-generation Challenger—the Model 3500—has entered service, the Montreal-based manufacturer recently announced. Launch customer Les Goldberg, the chairman and CEO of Technology Entertainment Partners, will take delivery of the super-midsize business jet later this year after it makes some public and private appearances, including at the October 2022 National Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, a Bombardier spokeswoman told BJT.

Unveiled last September, the $26.7 million Challenger 3500 features upgrades in the cabin and on the flight deck. The former includes the airframer’s Nuage seats, which were first installed on the Global 7500; voice-activated controls for cabin lighting, sound, and media that can play on 24-inch, 4K displays. On the flight deck, an autothrottle system has been added to help reduce pilot workload.

In addition, the aircraft’s cabin altitude has been lowered by 2,000 feet, to 4,850 feet, and the interior features sustainable materials such as veneers from eucalyptus trees and fabrics reclaimed from manufacturing processes. The Challenger 3500, which has already won awards for its cabin design, will retain the engines, avionics, and performance of its predecessor, the Challenger 350. An order for 20 Challenger 3500s represented the company's single biggest aircraft sale last year.