A jet built right here in the GTA has just set a speed record, flying from Canada to France in just over six hours and proving it is the fastest business aircraft in the world.
The Bombardier Global 8000, assembled at the company’s state-of-the-art Aircraft Assembly Centre at Toronto Pearson Airport in Mississauga, completed the record-setting flight from Montreal to Nice, France late last week. Passengers on board, including Bombardier President and CEO Eric Martel, were travelling to the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Montreal-based aerospace firm says the inaugural speed record demonstrates the plane’s ability to connect destinations around the world quicker than any other business jet currently in operation. The Bombardier Global 8000 speed record further cements the Greater Toronto Area’s role as a global leader in aerospace manufacturing and innovation.
The Global 8000 officially entered service last December after receiving Transport Canada Type certification in early November. It followed up with U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification on December 19 and European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification on January 23 of this year.
With a top operating speed of Mach 0.95, approximately 1,164 km/h, the jet travels just below the speed of sound. That makes it the fastest civil aircraft since the Concorde, according to Bombardier officials. The aircraft also boasts an impressive range of 14,816 kilometres, enabling nonstop travel between more city pairs than any other business jet on the market.
Priced at $78 million and accommodating up to 19 passengers, the Global 8000 made its international tradeshow debut last month at the Catarina Aviation Show in São Paulo, Brazil, where visitors had the opportunity to tour what Bombardier calls the fastest business jet on the planet.
What makes the Bombardier Global 8000 speed record even more remarkable is that during testing, the aircraft actually went supersonic. In a May 2021 test flight observed by a NASA-operated Boeing F-18 fighter jet, the Global 8000 broke the sound barrier at Mach 1.015, reaching 1,243 km/h.
Stephen McCullough, Bombardier’s executive vice president of engineering, product development and defence, said the Global 8000 is truly in a class by itself when it comes to speed, luxury, and performance. The aircraft continues to illustrate its industry-leading attributes from its signature smooth ride to its outstanding performance and landing capabilities.
For Durham Region residents, the record is a point of local pride. The jet was built just a short drive west along the 401 at Pearson Airport, where Bombardier invested $670 million in its new assembly centre. The facility supports thousands of high-skilled manufacturing jobs across the GTA, including many workers who commute from Durham communities like Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, and Pickering.
The Bombardier Global 8000 speed record marks another milestone for Canadian aviation and reinforces the country’s position at the forefront of aerospace engineering and innovation.
