Bombardier has a fairly long and storied Canadian tradition, but not necessarily as an aerospace leader. In fact, it is one of the more odd stories out there in aviation companies and branding. Bombardier began life as the original snowmobile manufacturer in the 1930s and 1940s as a product of necessity on the harsh and unforgiving Canadian frontiers. Today they are an aerospace and rail mogul which includes a series of highly touted business jets including the large cabin-class Global 8000, a beautiful business jet which provides global capability for up to seventeen pampered passengers.
Large Cabin, Long Range, Superior Comfort
Large cabin business jets are niche; they are there for a select few but they do what they do exceptionally well. The Global 8000 is in good company, sharing the floor with the Gulfstream V and 550, and more prominently the Gulfstream 650. This is to say that, in terms of cabin volume, seating, speed, and range, the field is actually very small. Bombardier has wisely broken away from the pack and surged to the front where there are far fewer thoroughbred competitors.
Highly Efficient Cruiser
The highlighted specifications above do not paint the entire picture of this aircraft. Developed from the popular Global 6000 (in production since 2012), which is a continuation of the Global line of aircraft from Bombardier. As of 2018, some 750 Global-series jets were in operation across the globe, so it is a proven design which lends itself to subtle modification and continuous improvement processes. The Global 8000 is the evolution of a proven fuselage married to a transonic wing.
What does that mean to everyone else? Transonic refers to the speed zone just before the speed of sound. The Global 8000 is designed to operate in the range of Mach 0.80-0.95, which is a very fast cruise, intended to cover a lot of ground in a minimal timeframe.
Conclusion
The Bombardier Global 8000 is not for everyone. In fact, it has a very distinct class for which it will serve. But there is a market for it, a market which has relatively few competitors. Bombardier has a proven track record which hundreds of Globals flying, as well as a slew of their smaller cousins, the Challengers. When you add the iconic LearJet brand into the equation, you have superior brand recognition built on reliable, consistent products which have delivered solid performance for many years.
