Bombardier’s Global 8000 jet offers near-supersonic speed and access to remote airports

Combining near-supersonic speed across vast distances with convenience and comfort is the ultimate challenge for private jet makers. But Bombardier has combined blue-sky thinking and big ambitions to design the Global 8000 – its flagship business aircraft, which will set new benchmarks when it goes into service in the second half of this year.

The Global 8000 will follow on from the record-breaking success of the Canadian jet maker’s Global 7500, which first flew business passengers in 2018, to become the world’s fastest and longest-range purpose-built civilian aircraft in service. It will be able to transport up to 19 passengers per flight and reach destinations faster and further than ever before.

The jet will have an impressive range of 8,000 nautical miles (14,816km) and a top speed of Mach 0.94 (1,152km/h) – just short of the speed of sound – although it broke the sound barrier while flying at Mach 1.015 during test flights in 2021. It will become the fastest civilian aircraft since the Concorde.

“The Global 8000 was designed with a mindset of delivering our clients the ultimate, no-compromise aircraft,” Emmanuel Bornand, Bombardier’s vice-president of international sales, says. “There was a time in aviation when you had to make trade-offs – choosing between using smaller, more convenient airports, speed and range, or a more pleasant cabin experience versus faster flights on more turbulent wings.

“In the case of the Global 8000, you get it all. Bringing the best range, speed and ability to go to smaller airports with a four-zone cabin makes this aircraft unique.”

The company, which has 5,100 of its jets now in service, has installed a range of ultra-modern features inside the Global 8000, including Nuage seats – the first zero-gravity position business jet seats, which can help reduce lower back pressure and neck strain while improving circulation.