Bombardier Global Express

The Bombardier Global Express is the first aircraft of the Global family and the starting point for the Global Express XRS, the Global 6000 and the shorter Global 5000. All of them share one fuselage, so the cabin is 1.88 m high and 2.41 m wide, with 13.18 m of length usually split into three zones. Bombardier certified the type for up to 19 passengers; aircraft in charter normally have 12 to 14 seats.

Typical non-stop sectors from the table:

• London Farnborough to New York in 7:05 h, Hamburg to Toronto in 7:55 h
• Madrid to Miami in 8:57 h and Zurich to the Maldives in 9:47 h
• Nice to Cape Town in 10:52 h and London to Los Angeles in 10:54 h

The Global Express suits eight to twelve people who cross the Atlantic or fly to the Indian Ocean and want room to sleep. Its airframes are the oldest in the family, so interiors and connectivity vary more than on later Globals.

Global Express cabin: three zones and room to sleep

The most common layout, front to rear:

The galley sits by the entrance, often with a small toilet next to it, and the main washroom with a door is at the rear, in front of the baggage hold. Most airframes have a crew rest area for transatlantic sectors. On a night flight up to eight people can lie flat; with twelve, some sleep sitting up.

Baggage: 5.52 m³ behind the rear washroom

• Large suitcases, skis, snowboards and golf bags fit without trouble
• With a full cabin to Miami or Malé the jet leaves with full tanks, and weight rather than volume sets the limit, so send a baggage list with the request

A dog or cat flies in the cabin next to the owner once the operator agrees; give breed, weight and carrier size in advance. Within the EU it needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old and an EU pet passport. Dogs entering the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway also need a tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival, and the UK accepts animals only via approved routes and airports.

Range, speed and airports

The 12,038 km figure applies at the slow long-range speed of Mach 0.80, about 850 km/h. At the usual Mach 0.85, with a full cabin or a winter headwind, the jet reaches clearly less far, so the route table plans with about 9,000 km per leg. The XRS that followed carries 674 kg more fuel and flies the same 6,500 nm at Mach 0.82.

With a take-off run of 1,774 m at maximum weight, runways rarely limit the jet:

• All thirteen departure hubs in the table have runways long enough for a transatlantic departure with full tanks
• Cannes-Mandelieu accepts aircraft only up to 35 t, so for the Riviera the Global Express lands in Nice
• The Courchevel altiport, 537 m long and sloped, is far too short for the type and needs a special qualification; skiers fly to Geneva or Chambéry
• In New York the jet can use Teterboro, because it stays under the airport's 100,000 lb weight limit

Flying the type in Europe

Routes from European hubs

The table holds 29 one-way routes from all thirteen hubs: three short European legs for comparison, two of two to four hours, then the Gulf, North America, India, the Indian Ocean and southern Africa. Prices are for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel, without airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time follows the great circle with taxi, climb and approach added; for Delhi and Mumbai the distance includes a detour around closed airspace.

European hops up to 2 hours, priced for comparison

Sectors of 2 to 4 hours to the Canaries and the Gulf

Over 4 hours: the Gulf, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean

• Every row is flown without a fuel stop; the longest is London - Los Angeles, 8,737 km in 10:54 h
• Los Angeles and Cape Town sit close to the working limit; with a full cabin and winter headwinds the operator may plan slow cruise or a technical stop
• Routes to the Gulf, India and the Indian Ocean depend on which airspace is open, so the operator confirms the flight time in the quote
• Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong need a stop from Europe; for those we quote the Bombardier Global 7500, which flies them non-stop

Munich - Nice (1:15 h), Geneva - London (1:24 h) and Zurich - Palma (1:41 h) show what a short leg costs in a cabin built for ten hours; for a group of four a super midsize jet is clearly cheaper there.

The calculator gives an indicative price for the Global Express on the route you choose, including departures from regional airports across Europe.

How much does it cost to charter a Global Express

The rate starts at EUR 12,000 per flight hour for the whole aircraft, crew and fuel included, however many passengers are on board. On a one-hour trip the total is far above rate times flight time, because positioning, the operator's minimum charge and handling form a fixed block: Munich - Nice costs EUR 19,000 for 1:15 h and Geneva - London EUR 21,000 for 1:24 h.

On long sectors the hourly price climbs again, as the quote also covers overflight permits, crew rest and sometimes a third pilot. Vienna - Dubai costs EUR 70,000, London - New York EUR 88,000 and Zurich - Malé EUR 120,000, one way. Table prices are close to those of later Globals, so the interior and the positioning distance decide whether a Global Express comes out cheaper.

Divided between the passengers, London - New York comes to:

Ways to pay less

Empty Legs on the Global Express

Global Express empty legs come up from time to time, most often when an aircraft returns to its base in London, Geneva, Vienna or the Gulf after a transatlantic or Indian Ocean charter. The type is less common than the Global 6000, so offers are fewer. The price can be 30-60% below a normal charter, as an example rather than a promise.

Send the route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or use the Empty Legs page, and we contact you when a suitable aircraft comes up.

Global Express, XRS, Global 6000 or Global 5000

The closest alternatives are the later versions with the same cabin cross-section, plus a Gulfstream from the same period.

How to book

For a quote we need:

• route, date and preferred departure time, for both directions
• number of passengers and, for a night sector, how many want to lie flat
• baggage, sports equipment and pets
• whether an XRS or Global 6000 is also acceptable, which widens the choice of aircraft

Each offer names the operator and the year of manufacture, with cabin photos and the seating plan of that specific Global Express.

Questions about the Global Express

• • How much does a Global Express cost from London to New York?

  • From EUR 88,000 one way for the whole aircraft, about 7:05 h from Farnborough to New York. With eight passengers that is about EUR 11,000 each. Airport fees and UK Air Passenger Duty come on top.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time at the hourly rate, positioning, crew costs, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes of the departure country and extras such as catering and de-icing, each listed separately in the quote.

• • How can I fly cheaper?

  • Open the request to the XRS and Global 6000 too, accept an original interior and keep the date flexible, so an aircraft already heading your way can be used.

• • Are there empty legs on this type?

  • Occasionally, mostly on returns to European or Gulf bases after long charters, at 30-60% below a normal charter in some cases. They are fewer than for the Global 6000, so a date window helps.

• • How many people fit in a Global Express?

  • Charter aircraft usually have 12 to 14 seats, and Bombardier allows up to 19. On a day flight everyone sits comfortably; for a night sector across the Atlantic plan for up to eight, so nobody sleeps sitting up.

• • Can it fly non-stop to Los Angeles?

  • London - Los Angeles is 8,737 km, 10:54 h in the table, close to the working limit. With a light load and slow cruise it is possible; with a full cabin in winter the operator may plan a fuel stop. A Global 7500 flies it with a reserve.

• • How many toilets are there?

  • Usually two: the main washroom with a door at the rear and a smaller one by the entrance, next to the galley.

• • Can we bring skis and golf bags?

  • Yes. The 5.52 m³ hold behind the cabin takes skis, snowboards and golf bags and can be reached in flight. For a large group the operator asks for the total weight on long sectors.

• • Can I take my dog?

  • Usually yes, in the cabin with you, once the operator of the aircraft agrees. It needs a microchip, rabies vaccination and a pet passport; the USA and the UK have stricter rules of their own, which we check before booking.

• • Can the Global Express land in Cannes or Courchevel?

  • No. Cannes-Mandelieu takes aircraft only up to 35 t, so the jet lands in Nice. The Courchevel altiport is far too short and needs a special qualification; skiers land in Geneva or Chambéry and continue by road or helicopter.