Gulfstream Loads G800 And G400 Into Its Product Pipeline

Release DateSeptember 30, 2021Gulfstream loads G800 and G400 into its product pipelinePurchase a PDF of this article Since its 2008 unveiling of its G650, Gulfstream has steadily reshaped its product line — providing itself two all-new platforms off which to launch a plethora of aircraft. The original G650 flagship and the smaller G500, which was revealed in 2014, have spawned three other models and now Gulfstream is set to add two more — notionally named the G400 and G800, The Air Current has learned.

The moves the ultra-secretive U.S. business jet manufacturer are planning positions the unit of General Dynamics with two new offerings, catering to ego-driven high-speed superlative range at one end and a smaller more versatile ocean-hopping offering at the other. With Gulfstream’s flagship G700 slated to enter service in the fourth quarter of next year, the G400 and G800 answer the what’s next for the business jet manufacturer.

The arrival of both in the years to come will add further fuel to the arms race between Gulfstream, Dassault and Bombardier, newly a pure business jet manufacturer.

Business aviation has benefitted hugely in a world with a ceaseless global pandemic. The disruption to global commercial aviation has been extreme, but travel restrictions, uncertain schedules and health concerns have been a “powerful catalyst for the turbocharged recovery” following a decade of “stagnation”, writes Cowen and Company analyst Cai von Rumohr, who said new orders are outpacing deliveries by 2.2 times as part of an “an unprecedented…surge” in demand.

Gulfstream is planning an Oct. 4 announcement from its headquarters in Savannah, Ga., in the lead up to the National Business Aviation Association show the following week. The company is planning a scaled down presence at the show this year in Las Vegas.

Both the G400 and G800 are a culmination of sorts for Gulfstream, which is in a phase of harvesting the investments it has made over the past decade completely rebuilding from scratch its product lineup with new technology.

The notionally named G800 is Gulfstream’s next iteration of its G650 platform, which was unveiled by the company in 2008. As the U.S. manufacturer and its Canadian and French rivals chase the ability to connect any two points on the planet non-stop, Gulfstream added the G650ER, capable of flying 7,500 nautical miles.