GE’s Latest Passport Engine Receives EASA Approval

General Electric’s latest Passport 20 Series engine, which powers the Bombardier Global 8000, has received EASA type certification. This approval joins FAA and Transport Canada authorizations achieved earlier this year and suggests that U.S. and European certifications for the Global 8000 are imminent.

The twinjet, which received Transport Canada approval last month, succeeds the Global 7500 as Bombardier’s flagship, offering industry-leading speeds of up to Mach 0.95 and 8,000-nm range. Although both variants are powered by the 19,000-pound-thrust Passport 20, which was first certified in 2018, the turbofan was modified to enable the Global 8000’s enhanced performance and range.

In October 2025, GE celebrated the shipment of its 500th Passport engine, including the inaugural Global 8000 units. All future Passport engines will now be configured to the upgraded standard. Bombardier has confirmed it will issue a service bulletin to allow existing Global 7500 customers to upgrade their engines and take advantage of the new features.

Earlier this month, Bombardier delivered the first Global 8000 to long-time Canadian customer Patrick Dovigi. Bombardier has previously indicated it expects U.S. and European regulatory approval to follow “in line with delivery requirements.”