Work Starts on First Production Bombardier Global 8000

As the testing program for Bombardier’s new flagship Global 8000 nears completion, the Canadian airframer announced that it has begun construction of the first production model of the ultra-long-range business jet. It will be the first built from the wheels up as an 8000, since modified Global 7500s were used for the test program.

Éric Martel, the OEM’s president and CEO, recently announced that the certification of the twinjet—a longer-legged, faster variant of the Global 7500—is expected to go smoothly as it approached 300 hours of testing.

“We do flight testing across the product, so we are extremely happy with the result; the industry’s fastest speed, longest range, lowest cabin altitude, and smoothest ride is coming next year,” he said.

The aircraft, which is expected to enter service in late 2025, 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.

Production of major components is currently taking place at Bombardier facilities in Saint-Laurent, Québec; Red Oak, Texas; and Querétaro, Mexico.

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.

Jean-Christophe Gallagher, executive v-p of aircraft sales and Bombardier defense, noted that the manufacturer is about to reach a milestone for the Global 7500 with its 200th delivery since its certification in 2018, to be followed soon after by the 100th delivery of the Challenger 3500 and the 1,000th delivery of a Challenger 300-series jet.

He noted that the company’s Global 7500 demonstrator, which travels the world showcasing the company’s technology, has racked up an impressive slate of 60 National Aeronautic Association-certified speed records—“records that can only be accomplished with a combination of range, speed, and takeoff performance,” Gallagher said.