The final Gulfstream G550 business jet has been delivered to an international customer, marking an end of an era for the long-range commercial jet.

After almost 20 years, Gulfstream has delivered its final G550 commercial jet to an international customer.

Entering service in 2003 as a long-range business jet, the G550 has a range of 6,750 nautical miles (12,501 kilometers) at Mach 0.80 and has broken over 55 speed records during its time of service.

Launched as a commercial jet that could be configured for business, government, or military and seat up to 19 passengers, the G550 is a versatile jet that enables owners to fly between international destinations such as Shanghai to Los Angeles, New York to Dubai, or London to Tokyo.

The Gulfstream G550 also launched the PlaneView™ flight deck platform for the first time and led the way with the certified Enhanced Vision System (now known as the Enhanced Flight Vision System – EFVS) as a standard safety feature for pilot safety.

“For nearly two decades, the G550 has been exceeding customer expectations,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “The G550 set a new standard for performance and reliability and continues to outperform and impress with its wide-ranging capabilities. Given our vast G550 fleet in service, we look forward to continuing to support all G550 customers around the world with Gulfstream Customer Support’s extensive network.”

The final delivery, which took place at the end of June, brings the global fleet of Gulfstream G550’s in service to a total of 600 jets.

Aerion Supersonic set to close operations after struggling to acquire further funding to produce its AS2 supersonic business jet.

Aerion Supersonic is reportedly set to close operations after failing to secure the considerable capital required to produce its AS2 business jet at its future $300 million planned facilities at Aerion Park, Florida.

Founded in 2004 with backing from Texan billionaire Robert Bass, Aerion Supersonic started as a solution to the 2003 retired Concorde and gained backing and support from organizations like Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and NASA’s Langley Research Center.

Yet despite raising $11.2 billion in pre-sales, Aerion has struggled to gain the capital needed to bring it to market.

“The AS2 supersonic business jet program meets all market, technical, regulatory and sustainability requirements, and the market for a new supersonic segment of general aviation has been validated with $11.2 billion in sales backlog for the AS2,” reads the company statement, as stated by Florida Today.

“However, in the current financial environment, it has proven hugely challenging to close on the scheduled and necessary large new capital requirements to finalize the transition of the AS2 into production. Given these conditions, the Aerion Corporation is now taking the appropriate steps in consideration of this ongoing financial environment.”

As reported by CNBC in early 2020, Aerion Supersonic revealed it would need around $4 billion to continue developing the AS2 after already spending $1 billion on engine development.

Initially, Aerion Supersonic had intended to launch the 1,000-miles-per-hour jet by 2024 and begin commercial activities by 2026, producing 300 AS2 jets during the first decade of production.

Unless 11th-hour funding is secured, the future of Aerion Supersonic is set to remain indefinitely grounded.

Dassault Aviation’s new Falcon 10X Business Jet is a high-speed ultra-long-range jet capable of flying non-stop from New York to Shanghai.

Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 10X Business Jet is a high-speed ultra-long-range jet featuring the largest and most comfortable cabin on a business jet yet.

Said to “deliver a level of comfort, versatility, and technology not yet seen” in terms of cabin size and comfort, the Falcon 10X is looking to rival the likes of the Gulfstream G700 and Bombardier’s Global 7500 when it goes into production end of 2025.

“The 10X will be more than just another big step forward in business aviation. It will be absolutely the best business jet available in the ultra-long-range category and will remain so for a long time,” shared Dassault Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier.

As the first Dassault business jet to be powered by Rolls-Royce Pearl engines, the new Dassault Falcon 10X can achieve a top speed of Mach 0.925 and, with a nautical mile range of 7,500, will be able to fly nonstop from New York to Shanghai, Los Angeles to Sydney, Hong Kong to New York or even Paris to Santiago.

Created as a “penthouse suite in the sky,” the Dassault Falcon 10X will offer greater modularity than any other aircraft in its class and a selection of multiple interior configurations.

The 10X is large enough to accommodate four-cabin zones of equal length, but owners can configure their cabin as they desire to create a living space to best suit their needs, including an expanded dining/conference area, a dedicated entertainment area with a large-screen monitor, a private stateroom with a queen-size bed or an enlarged master suite with a private stand-up shower.

“Today we are introducing a new benchmark in business aviation,” said Dassault Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “The Falcon 10X will offer an unrivalled passenger experience over both short- and long-duration flights, along with breakthrough safety features from Dassault’s frontline fighter technology. We have optimized every aspect of the aircraft with the passenger in mind and established a new level of capability for ultra-long-range aircraft.”