Gulfstream’s G700 and G600 have accumulated some fresh international city-pair speed records between cities in the USA and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Gulfstream showcased the aircraft to customers and prospects.
On 23 October 2021, the fully outfitted G700 production test aircraft set a record from Houston, Texas, to Riyadh, flying 7,172 nautical miles (13,283km), its longest-distance flight to date. Using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the trip was flown at Mach 0.87 in just 13 hours and 40 minutes. Also on 23 October 2021, and with an SAF blend, the G600 departed Washington DC, and flew 6,146 nautical miles (11,382km) to Riyadh at Mach 0.88 for a total flight time of 11 hours and 39 minutes, adding another city-pair record.
“Gulfstream’s next-generation aircraft truly raise the bar for high performance, innovation and cabin comfort,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “These city-pair records showcase the ability of our aircraft to help our customers reach their destinations faster. The G700 is the most spacious, best-performing aircraft in the business jet industry, and we look forward to its entry into service, and for the G600, our customers are seeing first-hand what the aircraft can do for them, and its popularity continues to grow around the world.”
The G700 and G600 also set more city-pair speed records on their return trips to the USA. On 29 October 2021, the G700 connected Riyadh with Savannah (Georgia, USA) in a record 13 hours and 55 minutes, flying 6,507 nautical miles (12,051km) at an average speed of Mach 0.875 while operating as high as 51,000ft at Mach 0.89. The G600 connected Riyadh with Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and set another record, flying 5,915 nautical miles (10,955km) in 12 hours and 56 minutes at an average speed of Mach 0.85.
Gulfstream noted it was applying carbon offsets to be carbon-neutral for all the record-breaking flights. The G700’s latest city-pair record follows record-setting flights from Savannah to Doha in Qatar; Doha to Paris in France; and Paris to Savannah in September 2021. Gulfstream anticipates G700 customer deliveries beginning in 2022.
The G600 has set more than 20 speed records. To date, more than 50 G600s have been delivered to customers around the world since the aircraft entered service in 2019.
