Gulfstream Aerospace introduced two new luxury jets, dubbed Gulfstream G500 and G600, said to cost £27m ($43,5m) and £33m ($53m). The two new business jets will be able to carry up to 19 passengers, with multiple living spaces, and a touchscreen flight deck. Speed is one of the biggest differentiators. Both planes can fly at a high-speed cruise of Mach 0.90, saving operators up to an hour per flight versus flying at Mach 0.80. The maximum operating speed for both aircraft is Mach 0.925, the same speed as Gulfstream’s G650 and G650ER.
According to Gulfstream, the G500 can fly long distances at high speed, including from New York to Geneva at 685 miles (1102 kilometers) per hour. The larger G600 can fly further, the company said, including a potential non-stop flight from Los Angeles to London at 685 miles per hour, or from Los Angeles to Shanghai at 647 miles per hour.
The jets will have the lowest cabin altitude in history, with passengers feeling as though they are standing on terra firma at 4,850 feet, when flying at 51,000 feet.
The first flight of the G500 is scheduled for 2015. The G600 will follow about 12 to 18 months behind, entering service in 2019, the company said.
