Despite rumors to the contrary, Gulfstream Aerospace has stressed its commitment to its G280 super midsize jet and is investing in enhancements to the aircraft, company executives told reporters on March 30.
“The rumors are not true,” said Mark Burns, Gulfstream president. “Our commitment to the G280 remains strong ... We continue to invest in this airplane and the capabilities in the airplane.”
Burns referred to a 2018 report by an Israeli business publication, the Globes, saying the board of Gulfstream’s partner, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), had approved the development of a new jet, an advanced G280, temporarily called the P-32, and had committed $80 million to the project.
Burns went on to say that Gulfstream continues to invest “to bring the right product to the market at the right time. It’s why we’re still committed to the 280—because we believe it is the right product at this point.”
The company is working to advance the technologies and capabilities of the G280 and committed to supporting customers and working with IAI, its suppliers and employees, officials said.
Gulfstream’s investments in the G280 include options for international travel with an Intercontinental Supplemental Flight Package for added redundancy. The package includes a second HF radio, radio altimeter, datalink and ADF, tertiary FMS and VHF navigation and inertial reference system. Additional options include XM graphical weather with real-time updates and dual electronic charts for a paperless cockpit.
The company is also working on upgrades such as the inclusion of a surface management system to prevent runway incursions, access to vertical weather and predictive wind shear information, external LED lighting, increasing reduced vertical separation minimum validation intervals from 24 months to 96 months and adding 360-deg., high-definition cameras, Burns said.
Gulfstream is also working to make the aircraft controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) FANS-E compliant and on other upgrades to incorporate features from its large-cabin fleet. These include predictive landing performance, reduced cabin altitudes, modifications to the thrust reverser and inlet to reduce noise and new airspeed data probes to improve operations in icing conditions.
To date, 212 G280s are in service. The aircraft, which entered service in 2012, is certified in 19 countries and has amassed more than 250,000 flight hours. It has also set more than 80 city-pair records, including recent records with aircraft flown on sustainable aviation fuel.
The first three or four months of the COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns in 2020, but the company recorded a strong fourth quarter, Burns said.
Optimism is growing with the expanding availability of vaccines. The company is seeing a broader customer base for its products, including the G280, as more people begin to see the value of private aviation, he said.
“I think the market is very strong,” Burns said. “I see a growing market energy associated with the optimism that the world is feeling today.”
Learn more about the Gulfstream G280 in the latest Aircraft Overview where you can see historical aircraft values, in-service fleet by region, past pilot reports and more.
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