Gulfstream Bizjet Sales Soar to Second-best Quarter Ever

Gulfstream Aerospace logged its second-highest sales period in the fourth quarter, eclipsed only by second-quarter 2008, Phebe Novakovic—chairman and CEO of parent company General Dynamics (GD)—said this morning during an investor call. The Savannah, Georgia business jet manufacturer also achieved book-to-bill ratios of 1.3:1 in the fourth quarter and 1.2:1 for the year, catapulting GD’s aerospace backlog to $21.83 billion, up $2.2 billion from a year earlier.

While the OEM delivered two fewer aircraft in the quarter year over year (YOY), its 2025 total climbed to 158 jets (22 super-midsize G280s and 136 large cabins), up from 136 (18 G280s and 118 large cabins) in 2024. In the fourth quarter, it handed over 45 aircraft (four G280s and 41 large cabins), compared with 47 (five G280s and 42 large cabins) a year ago.

The aerospace division, which also includes aircraft services company Jet Aviation, saw 2025 revenues soar 17% YOY, to $13.11 billion, while earnings rose to $1.746 billion, a $282 million YOY increase. U.S. tariffs were a $41 million headwind on the division last year, and that is expected to be higher this year, said GD president Danny Deep. According to Novakovic, 2026 projections for the aerospace unit include $13.6 billion in revenues, $1.9 billion in earnings, and about 160 aircraft deliveries.

Demand at Gulfstream spanned across all product lines and was driven by new products—especially the G800, G700, and G600, in that order—and global economic strength, Novakovic said, adding, “The pipeline is active and growing.” She noted that the barrier to increasing Gulfstream deliveries further is primarily aircraft completions capacity, which the OEM is actively addressing.