Long-haul Business Jets Target Asia Pacific Market

Economic growth and the need for flexible, intercontinental travel have made the Asia-Pacific region a prime market for the new generation of long-range, large-cabin business jets. Gulfstream’s latest G800 and Bombardier’s Global 8000 now face competition from a new addition to Dassault’s Falcon family, the 10X. The rivals are priced between around $71 million and $81 million, with many variables including cabin interior options.

Gulfstream delivered the first example of the G800 last August, providing customers with an 8,200-nm range at a long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85, or a faster Mach 0.90 velocity on sectors of up to 7,000 nm. The new model has replaced the earlier G650 and joins a product line that already includes the 7,750-nm G700, as well as the G600, G500, G400, and the recently launched G300.

“We are seeing great interest in and demand for the G700 and G800 in Asia Pacific,” Scott Neal, Gulfstream’s senior vice president for worldwide sales, told AIN. “Safety, speed, and range are among the top performance attributes for customers in Asia-Pacific, and Gulfstream has been leading the industry in this space for more than a decade.”

The U.S. airframer now has almost 330 jets based across the vast region, including China, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and India. According to the company, the combination of range, speed, and spacious cabins that can accommodate up to 19 passengers in various configurations has proven to be compelling to customers who need nonstop global connections from business hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.

According to Neal, the G650, announced in 2008, was instrumental in building the Asia-Pacific business aviation market. He said that safety and performance available from the next-generation Gulfstreams, combined with the manufacturer’s cabin experience options, give “operators in Asia the opportunity to select an aircraft, or a fleet, that is tailored precisely to their mission requirements.”

Technology Draw in Asia

According to Carlos Brana, executive vice president for civil aircraft at Dassault, buyers in this part of the world place a high value on having the latest technology and high levels of comfort. The French manufacturer has seen strong demand for its Falcons driven by rising wealth across the region, drawing new customers in countries including rapidly-industrializing India, where it delivered its first 6X jet last year, as well as the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

“The level of modernization in this market is impressive, with a high priority for export activity,” Brana said. From his perspective, the 7,500-nm range promised for the 10X will be compelling for Asia-Pacific customers, who he said also need the flexibility that business aircraft offer in a region where scheduled airline networks do not adequately serve all destinations, such as the multiple islands of the Philippines and Indonesia.

In Bordeaux, the French manufacturer is now preparing 10X prototypes for a flight test program set to start in the early part of this year. It is targeting type certification and service entry in 2027.

China, once viewed by business jet sales executives as a key growth opportunity because of its population size, has experienced relatively flat market conditions in recent years. Several factors, including recovery from the Covid pandemic and political pressure on high-net-worth individuals, have inhibited demand.

Nonetheless, at Dassault, Brana has not given up on the People’s Republic, where he sees dynamic automotive and electronics sectors driving up demand for business aircraft. In addition to the 10X, the company offers the 6X (with a 5,500-nm range) and the three-engined 8X (6,400 nm), which is not restricted by extended twin-engine operations requirements on flights over oceans.

“The 10X will be a game-changer, not only for its range, but in terms of cabin and technology, and not only in Asia-Pacific, but also in regions like Latin America,” Brana said. “Connectivity and time savings are key factors.”

On December 8, Bombardier delivered the first of its Global 8000 jets, which, as its name suggests, can fly up to 8,000 nm. The new model also claims the title of the fastest in-service civil aircraft with a top speed of Mach 0.95 (albeit with reduced range). According to the company, the top speed could shave around 7% off the flight time on popular intercontinental routes such as New York to London.

According to the Canadian airframer, the new Global’s advanced wing design with slats has delivered “takeoff and landing performance comparable to that of a light jet.” This enables the aircraft to access smaller airports across the Asia-Pacific region and other parts of the world. 

Cabin Comforts

With passengers potentially flying for up to 17 hours on the new ultra-long-range business jets, cabin comfort is prominent among the options offered for the G800, Falcon 10X, and Global 8000. The interior design teams of all three manufacturers can deliver an assortment of layouts that can include sleeping berths for 10 or more passengers, a private bedroom, dining space, showers, and crew rest areas.

Product support is another key factor for manufacturers making the case for Asia-Pacific customers to invest in business jets made on the other side of the world. The robustness of supply chains and approved service centers can make all the difference between aircraft being available when needed and owners left wondering whether they might be better off with the region’s airlines.

For Gulfstream, its General Dynamics sister company Jet Aviation is a critical part of the support equation, with well-equipped facilities in Singapore and Hong Kong supporting its customers, along with nine authorized warranty facilities in the region. “We also continue to invest; in the past year, we have more than doubled the inventory of spare parts in Asia-Pacific and continually assess customers’ needs there to identify new opportunities for growth,” Neal explained.

Dassault’s ExecuJet MRO Services subsidiary is at the forefront of its product support infrastructure. Last year, the company opened an expanded facility in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, and its Asia-Pacific network also extends to Australia.