Inside the Bombardier Global 8000 Flying Debut & Defense Strategy at FIA 2026

En route from Los Angeles to Farnborough, the Mach 0.95 business jet set a new speed record, completing the flight in just 8 hours and 46 minutes. What makes this display even more remarkable is that Bombardier is using a fully customer-configured demo aircraft—flown by regular demonstration pilots—to prove its real-world envelope, safety, and short-field performance. AIN’s Charlotte Bailey speaks with Bombardier to discuss how they prepared for the flying display, as well as how the Global 8000 and Global 6500 fit into the expanding Bombardier Defense portfolio—from ISR and SIGINT applications to head-of-state transport.