"We continue to lead the industry with investments in products, technology, services and people" - Gulfstream.

Gulfstream uses its latest brochure for their new G650 business jet to reiterate its claims to be leading the private jet industry. We find this statement, when thumbing through the initial pages, underneath the equally audacious “World Standard” slogan. The message is clear; they believe they have trumped Bombardier in the bid to build the best Long Range Jet. But is Gulfstream’s confidence misplaced or have they indeed produced a jet in a class of its own? Well, at first glance it certainly seems that Gulfstream have good reason to be optimistic.

Narrowing profit margins and high fuel prices mean that performance statistics are vital when assessing the pros and cons of an aircraft. The Gulfstream 650 is no different, but it does boast some impressive figures, if that’s what you’re into.

With an initial cruise altitude of 41,000ft and a maximum altitude ceiling of 51,000ft you can see why the G650 appeals to the high-flyers. Traveling at such altitudes has significant benefits with regards to efficiency and time-savings – and in the fast-paced world of business, time is money. Aloft of all commercial traffic routes and bypassing any disruptive weather patterns, the G650 is an attractive proposition to business jet clientele.

Range and speed are also key areas of interest when discussing the attributes of the G650; unsurprisingly, it excels in both. Taking the title of ‘longest range business jet’ from Gulfstream’s earlier G550 model, the G650’s range of 12,964km is extremely impressive. Carrying eight passengers, traveling at Mach 0.85 (904km/h) during a normal speed cruise, the G650 can achieve city pairs such as Dubai-Sydney, New York-Beijing and São Paulo-Moscow, all non-stop. Of course these journeys are subject to Air Traffic Control restrictions and variable weather conditions, but it’s not a bad starting point. Being able to link city pairs at considerable speed and comfort is the biggest selling point for the G650 as it aims to save time like never before.

Although efficiency and time-savings make Gulfstream’s aircraft invaluable business tools, there is no denying that their comfort is another reason why they have a client list including the likes of Tiger Woods, Michael Dell and Lakshmi Mittal. With the G650, it would seem Gulfstream has once again re-defined comfort and luxury. Boasting the “largest windows of any aircraft in the industry”, as well as the iPhone application that lets you control anything from your screen to the window shades, one can see that Gulfstream has gone all out to hone every detail to make this the best aircraft that they have ever built. And if their order backlog – currently extending to 2017 – is anything to go by, it seems that their customers agree.

With the G650 turning heads at the recent Paris Airshow, Gulfstream has the lead on Bombardier’s competing aircraft, the Global Express 7000 and Global Express 8000, expected to enter service in 2016/17 respectively. One thing is for certain, with 20 G650s already delivered and another 200 ordered, it is fair to say that Bombardier cannot afford any slip-ups. As reported by the Global Post, Gulfstream has recently overtaken Bombardier as the largest business aircraft manufacturer in the world, based on value of planes shipped in the second quarter of 2013. Whilst Bombardier is confident that reclaiming this spot is achievable, are we about to see yet another a shift in the business jet manufacturing market?

Only time will tell. What can be said, however, is that the current long-haul business jet landscape has now been freshly mown by the arrival of the G650 – an aircraft offering superior performance, comfort and style. After a particularly tough flight-testing phase, it’s a credit to Gulfstream as a company that they have now set the bar with a business jet that is (for the time being) undoubtedly the best in its class.

Andrew Larkey
Airport & FBO Relations