Bombardier announced the successful maiden flight of its first production Global 8000 aircraft, which took place on May 16th. The aircraft departed from Bombardier’s Aircraft Assembly Center in Mississauga, Ontario, and reportedly completed a flawless flight. This new jet is notable for achieving a maximum speed of Mach 0.94, making it the fastest civilian aircraft since Concorde.
The test flight was conducted by Pilot Sandro Novelli, Co-Pilot Charlie Honey, and Flight Engineer Bhargav Bhavsar. Bombardier stated that all flight controls were exercised during the flight and performed as expected. Following this successful test, the aircraft will proceed to Bombardier’s Laurent Beaudoin Completion Center in Montreal for interior completion. It is anticipated to enter service in the latter half of 2025.
Stephen McCullough, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Product Development at Bombardier, remarked on this milestone: “This first production flight marks yet another successful milestone for Bombardier’s Global 8000 program and we are very pleased with how the aircraft performed on its maiden journey.”