Bombardier Global 8000

The Bombardier Global 8000 is built on the airframe of the Global 7500 and keeps its cabin: 16.59 m long, 1.88 m high and 2.44 m wide, four zones and up to 19 seats. What changed are the engines and the flight envelope. Bombardier quotes 14,816 km of range (8,000 nm), a top speed of Mach 0.95 and a lower cabin altitude than in its predecessor.

For a charter client one fact matters more: the type is in production, but very few aircraft exist, and the first one went to NetJets for its own programme. An offer for this exact model is rare. From European hubs both the Global 8000 and the Global 7500 fly non-stop to New York, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires and Tokyo, so we usually send a quote for the Bombardier Global 7500 alongside, with the same cabin and far better availability.

Global 8000 cabin: four zones and a lower cabin altitude

The Global 8000 layout follows the Global 7500. At the front there is a club zone with four armchairs, then a dining or meeting table, a lounge with a sofa and a screen, and a bedroom with a bed at the rear. With two or four people on board each has a zone of their own, and on a night flight with eight everyone can lie flat, even though there is only one bed.

The galley is at the entrance and prepares hot meals for the whole cabin. Toilets are usually forward and aft, and in many layouts the bedroom has its own washroom, with a shower on some aircraft.

Baggage: the same 5.52 m³ hold

• Large suitcases, skis, snowboards and golf bags fit
• With a dozen passengers on a long stay the hold fills up before the seats do, so give the number of cases and sports bags
• On legs with full tanks the operator checks the total weight before confirming

Range, speed and airports

Bombardier describes the Global 8000 as the fastest business jet. Fast cruise is flown at Mach 0.90 or 0.92, but it costs fuel, so operators usually fly at Mach 0.85. On a transatlantic leg the higher speed saves a few dozen minutes. The route table uses a planning limit of about 12,800 km for non-stop legs, about 700 km more than for the Global 7500, which leaves reserve against headwind and a full cabin.

The landing distance is about 677 m, and the runway need is the same as for the Global 7500. In practice:

• Every hub in the table, from Farnborough to Larnaca, takes the aircraft with full tanks
• For the Riviera the jet lands in Nice, as Cannes-Mandelieu accepts aircraft up to 35 t
• London City is open only to aircraft and crews approved for its 5.5 degree approach, so London trips usually start at Farnborough or Luton
• Teterboro near New York has a 100,000 lb limit (about 45 t). The maximum landing weight of 39,735 kg is below it, but for a departure with heavy fuel the operator may choose another airport

Flying the type in Europe

Non-stop routes from European hubs

Twenty-nine Global 8000 routes from all thirteen hubs, with South America, the west coast of North America and East Asia among them. Prices are one way for the whole aircraft with crew, before airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight times follow the great circle plus taxi, climb and approach at usual cruise; for Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong the distance includes a detour around closed airspace.

Short European legs up to 2 hours

Two to four hours: as far as the Canary Islands

Over 4 hours: the range the Global 8000 is built for

• Every row is flown without a fuel stop, including Nice - Santiago (11,646 km, 13:26 h) and Paris - Tokyo (11,660 km, 13:27 h)
• Madrid - Buenos Aires (10,087 km) and Zurich - Sao Paulo (9,608 km) leave a large reserve; Santiago and Tokyo are the longest rows, so with a full cabin and heavy baggage the operator recalculates them for the day
• Routes to the Gulf and to East Asia depend on which airspace is open, and the operator confirms the flight time in the quote
• Australia always needs a fuel stop

Paris - Nice (1:16 h), London - Geneva (1:20 h) and Zurich - London (1:23 h) show what the type costs on a short leg. Neither the range nor the bedroom of a Global 8000 is used there, and a much smaller jet costs a fraction of it.

The calculator gives an indicative price for an ultra-long-range jet on the route you choose; for the Global 8000 the final figure depends mostly on where a free aircraft is based.

How much does a Global 8000 charter cost

The rate starts at EUR 15,300 per flight hour for the whole aircraft, with crew and fuel. On short legs the total is far above the rate multiplied by flight time, because positioning, the operator's minimum charge and handling form a fixed part: London - Geneva costs EUR 32,000 for 1:20 h. On long sectors the hourly price rises again with the extended duty day and extra crew. Geneva - New York costs EUR 98,000, London - Los Angeles EUR 130,000 and Paris - Buenos Aires EUR 160,000.

The table prices of the Global 8000 are close to those of the Global 7500, as the hourly rates of the two types differ little. The real difference comes from availability: with only a few aircraft, positioning often decides the final figure.

The price covers the whole aircraft, so on Geneva - New York the share per person falls with every seat taken:

How to pay less

Request the Global 8000 well in advance if this exact type matters; the earlier the request, the better the chance that an aircraft is positioned in Europe anyway.

Empty Legs on this type

Empty Legs on the Global 8000 are rare: few aircraft exist, and those in fractional or membership programmes do not sell empty sectors openly. When one appears, it is usually a transatlantic or Gulf repositioning, and the price can be 30-60% below a normal charter, as an example rather than a rule. Date and route are fixed, and the operator can cancel the leg if the aircraft gets a full charter.

A more realistic option is an empty Global 7500 or Global 6000 on a similar route. Send the route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or through the Empty Legs page, and we look across all three types.

Global 8000, Global 7500, Global 6000 or G650

The comparison with the Global 7500 is natural, as the cabin is identical. The other options are the shorter Global 6000 and the Gulfstream G650.

How to book

Put into the request:

• route and dates, with how many days of flexibility you have
• number of passengers and how many want to sleep on a night sector
• baggage, with skis, golf bags and oversized cases listed
• pets: species, breed, weight and carrier
• whether a Global 7500 is acceptable, which greatly improves the chance of a good offer

We search aircraft with operators holding an AOC and send a quote with the operator, the aircraft version, positioning and taxes. Within Schengen there is no passport control, but the operator needs passport or ID details for every passenger. EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA, and travellers to the USA under the Visa Waiver Programme need an approved ESTA.

Questions about the Global 8000

• • How much does a Global 8000 flight from Geneva to New York cost?

  • From EUR 98,000 one way for the whole aircraft, 7:24 h to Teterboro. With eight passengers that is about EUR 12,200 each. Airport fees, passenger taxes and positioning come on top, and with this type positioning can be a large item.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time at the hourly rate, positioning of the aircraft, crew costs for overnight stops or an augmented crew, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes of the departure country and extras such as catering and de-icing. The quote lists each part separately.

• • How can I fly cheaper?

  • Accept a Global 7500 with the same cabin, give a flexible date and compare a crew stay with two empty legs for the return. For trips up to about eight hours a Global 6000 costs less per hour.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Global 8000?

  • Rarely, as few aircraft exist and many fly in programmes that do not sell empty sectors. Empty legs on the Global 7500 or Global 6000 with similar routes appear more often, and we watch all three if you send a date window.

• • How does the Global 8000 differ from the Global 7500?

  • The cabin has the same dimensions and layout. The Global 8000 has modified GE Passport engines and a wider flight envelope: 14,816 km of range instead of 14,260 km and a top speed of Mach 0.95 instead of 0.925. The cabin altitude is lower, which passengers notice on a long flight.

• • Does the Global 8000 really fly at Mach 0.95?

  • Usually not. The top speed is a margin, while on a normal day the aircraft cruises at about Mach 0.85, using less fuel and getting the most range. A faster cruise can be requested when every minute counts, and the operator confirms it in the flight plan.

• • Can it fly non-stop to South America or Tokyo?

  • Yes. Madrid - Buenos Aires takes about 11:42 h and Munich - Tokyo 12:59 h with the detour around closed airspace. With a full cabin and heavy baggage the operator checks the longest legs for the actual day.

• • How many people can sleep on board?

  • Two in the bedroom bed and several more on flat armchairs and the sofa, usually up to eight in total. The cabin plan of the specific aircraft comes with the offer.

• • Is there room for skis and golf bags?

  • Yes. The 5.52 m³ hold takes sports equipment in bags and can be reached in flight. For a large group give the number of pieces, as the operator checks them before confirming.

• • Can I take my dog?

  • Usually yes, in the cabin, once the operator of the specific aircraft agrees. The dog needs a microchip, rabies vaccination and a pet passport, and for the USA and the UK we check the extra entry rules before booking.