Government inks $753M deal for 6 Bombardier Global 6500 jets to replace Challengers
LINK TO ARTICLE
This is a smart move. I don't understand why the Canadian government didn't acquire at least a pair of Bombardier Global Express jets at least a decade before this because they have the required range and speed to be able to replace the Airbus 300/330 on many long-range missions. A good example of this is Carney's last-minute trip to Sharm El-Sheikh Egypt a few weeks ago. That trip reportedly cost almost $800K on the A330.
I am only surprised that this order does not include one or two of the top-of-the-line Global 8000s. The Global 8000 has the highest speed and longest range of any business jet in the world or for that matter any passenger jet. It is the pinnacle of Canadian aviation achievement that we should be showing off to the world.
According to the article the Bombardier Global jets will be delivered in the summer of 2027 but will not attain full operational capability until the end of that year. I don't understand this. It should be possible to get existing Challenger pilots' type-rated for the Global jets long before they are delivered. There is no reason why the jets should not be fully operational on the first day of delivery.
Just last week Bombardier celebrated the first entry into service of the Global 8000 - the world's fastest passenger plane (during flight testing it flew supersonic!)