Meet the New Flock of Business Jets
Given the time and resources it takes to develop and certify a new aircraft, we’re usually treated to only a few new models each year. However, in 2018 the aviation gods have bestowed upon us an embarrassment of riches, with a number of significant new models being delivered this year and a slew of others right around the corner in 2019. And we’re not talking about new trainers or kit planes, these are the cutting edge models from some of the industry’s biggest names, including Bombardier, Gulfstream, Cessna and others. Given the breadth of options and healthy tax breaks on the table, it’s a good time to be looking for a new bird.
Pilatus PC-24
Pictured above
Geek Stats
Category: Light Jet
Max Range: 2,342 Miles (Washington, D.C., To Las Vegas)
Max Cruising Speed: 506 Mph
Fly High: 45,000 Feet
New For: 2018
Price: $8.9 Million
Inside Info
Seats: 8
Length: 23′
Width: 5′7′′
Height: 5′1′′
Onboard Amenities
The interior was designed in collaboration with BMW Designworks, and it’s clear the firm took cues from SUV design: Passenger seats can be removed or added in minutes, and the aft partition moves so you can enlarge the cabin or the baggage compartment, which can even accommodate two motorbikes, if that’s your thing.
Claim to Fame
Hello, remote wilderness. The Pilatus doesn’t need much runway, and it can land smoothly on unpaved terrain, making it the world’s first SVJ: super versatile jet. Because of this, it can access more than 20,000 airports globally—about twice as many as any other jet.
Why You’ll Love It
Being able to land at more airports means that you can disembark as close as possible to your final destination, perhaps even your own backyard, if you’re set up for that.
Cessna Citation Longitude
Geek Stats
Category: Super-Midsize Jet
Max Range: 4,028 Miles (New York To Paris)
Max Cruising Speed: 548 Mph
Fly High: 45,000 Feet
New For: Late 2018
Price: $27 Million
Inside Info
Seats: 8
Sleeps: 8
Length: 25′2′′
Width: 5′5′′
Height: 6’
Onboard Amenities
The eight seats all fold flat to convert into beds, and the walk-in baggage compartment is accessible in flight. Wireless tech enables passengers to control their environment and entertainment with their mobile devices, and high-speed Internet is standard.
Claim To Fame
Comfort. The plane has the quietest cabin and lowest cabin altitude (which helps you feel refreshed after a flight) in the super-midsize class. It can fly 800 hours or 18 months between scheduled maintenance work, one of the longest intervals in this jet class.
Why You’ll Love It
That quiet cabin—about the same noise level as inside a luxury car on the highway—and those lie-flat seats mean you might actually get some z’s.
Gulfstream G600
Geek Stats
Category: Large Jet
Max Range: 7,480 Miles (New York To Dubai)
Max Cruising Speed: 594 Mph
Fly High: 51,000 Feet
New For: 2019
Price: $57.9 Million
Inside Info
Seats: 19
Sleeps: 9
Length: 45′2′′
Width: 7′11′′
Height: 6′4′′
Onboard Amenities
The cabin can comprise as many as three living areas and can include either an aft or a forward galley. Sumptuous design elements include stone flooring and handwoven rugs, and the 24-inch-wide seats are available in myriad upholstery combinations.
Claim To Fame
The cabin design earned top honors in the private-jet design category at the 2018 International Yacht & Aviation Awards. It included a mirrored mid-cabin bulkhead, oak veneer, and stylishly perforated and quilted seats.
Why You’ll Love It
The plane’s 10 cabin-space options can include a full shower, the holy grail of in-flight luxury.
Bombardier Global 7500
Geek Stats
Category: Ultralong-Range Jet
Max Range: 8,861 Miles (Los Angeles To Dubai)
Max Cruising Speed: 691 Mph
Fly High: 51,000 Feet
New For: Late 2018
Price: $72.8 Million
Inside Info
Seats: 19
Sleeps: 11
Length: 54′5′′
Width: 8′
Height: 6′2′′
Onboard Amenities
Four distinct, customizable living spaces—a club suite, conference area, entertainment lounge, and master suite—allow room to roam, plus there is a kitchen area with dual convection/microwave ovens, a faucet, and cold storage. An aft master suite can be outfitted with a permanent bed and a stand-up shower.
Claim To Fame
It’s the world’s largest and longest-range purpose-built business jet. Its performance even surprised its makers: After test flights earlier this year, the company upped the jet’s max range by 345 miles.
Why You’ll Love It
Aside from its home-away-from-home comforts, the huge Global 7500 is agile enough to access airports that require a steep descent and takeoff, such as the conveniently located London City Airport.
Bombardier Global 6500
Geek Stats
Category: Large Jet
Max Range: 7,595 Miles (New York To New Delhi)
Max Cruising Speed: 675 Mph
Fly High: 51,000 Feet
New For: 2019
Price: $56 Million
Inside Info
Seats: 17
Sleeps: 8
Length: 43′3′′
Width: 7′11′′
Height: 6′2′′
Onboard Amenities
The high-tech, extra-wide Nuage seating conforms to your body as it reclines and has a floating base and tilting headrest. The cabin’s conference suite can be furnished with a Nuage chaise, which converts into a flat surface for sleeping. Bombardier’s Ka-band high-speed Internet and an ultrahigh-resolution entertainment system come standard.
Claim To Fame
Thanks to its new Rolls-Royce engines, the Global 6500 can fly 690 miles farther than its predecessor, the Global 6000, and reach a higher top speed of 691 mph.
Why You’ll Love It
Even with their performance benefits, the new engines are as much as 13 percent more fuel efficient than their predecessors—easing the weight on your conscience as well as your wallet.
Airbus ACJ319NEO
Geek Stats
Category: Bizliner Jet
Max Range: 7,770 Miles (Geneva To Manila)
Max Cruising Speed: 560 Mph
Fly High: 41,000 Feet
New For: 2019
Price: $90 Million
Inside Info
Seats: 19
Sleeps: Your Call
Length: 78′9′′
Width: 12′1′′
Height: 7′4′′
Onboard Amenities
The fully customizable cabin can include a round table for six, a spacious bedroom or bedrooms with a corridor running alongside, and generous bathrooms with showers.
Claim To Fame
Based on the Airbus A319neo airliner, it has the widest and tallest cabin of any bizliner, including the Boeing Business Jet. In its commercial-airliner version, the aircraft accommodates 160 passengers in the same amount of cabin space.
Why You’ll Love It
This is the ultimate flying second home, with nearly 900 square feet of cabin space, which translates to each passenger getting about 47 square feet of their own.
Launch Gallery: 6 New Business Jets - In Pictures
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