On Monday, plane manufacturer Bombardier confirmed the launch of its new business jet, Global 8000, resuming the race to restore supersonic passenger flights nearly two decades after Concorde’s retirement.
The Global 8000 is still in construction. It will be “the world’s fastest and longest-range purpose-built business jet,” according to the Canadian company.
According to a statement from Bombardier, the upcoming plane will enter service in 2025 with a capacity of 19 passengers. It will have a range of 8,000 nautical miles (14,800 kilometers), and a top speed of Mach 0.94.
The news comes after a Global 7500 test vehicle broke the sound barrier during a demonstration flight last May, achieving speeds of more than Mach 1.015.
As a result of the flight, the aircraft, which was accompanied by a NASA F/A-18 chase plane, became the first Transport Category airplane to fly supersonic with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), according to Bombardier.
Aircraft of the new era
In a statement made on Monday, Éric Martel, president and CEO of Bombardier, said, “The Global 8000 aircraft leverages the outstanding attributes of the Global 7500 aircraft, providing our customers with a flagship aircraft of a new era.”
On Global 7500 flight-test vehicles, flight testing for the Global 8000 has already commenced. The prospective aircraft will also have a cabin altitude of 2,900 feet, according to Bombardier.
More than two decades after Concorde’s retirement, the Global 8000 is one of many developments in the countless efforts to increase the speed of passenger aircraft.
United Airlines indicated that supersonic routes could be available as early as 2029 when they secured a deal to buy 15 supersonic jets last year.
Meanwhile, Boom Supersonic, based in Colorado, has been completing ground testing on X-B1. It is the prototype aircraft for its Overture jet. It is likely to fly on over 500 routes, mostly transoceanic, and benefit from the aircraft’s Mach-2.2 speeds.
Unfortunately, Aerion, a Florida-based aviation startup, went bankrupt just months after announcing plans for a Mach 4+ commercial airplane. It was known as the Aerion AS3 last year.