General Dynamics announced today the first customer delivery of the all-new Gulfstream G600 aircraft. The milestone follows the aircraft receiving U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type and production certificates on June 28. A U.S. customer took delivery of the aircraft at Gulfstream's headquarters in Savannah, Georgia.
"We always strive to exceed our customers' expectations, and our first G600 delivery is a prime example of that," said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. "The effort put forth by our team enabled this award-winning, technologically advanced aircraft to move from certified to delivered in an extremely short period of time. We are very proud of everyone who had a part in making this happen and keeping our promise to customers, as is a Gulfstream tradition, of a 2019 entry into service.
"The G600, with its outstanding performance, industry-leading innovative technology and stylish, comfortable cabin, continues the emergence of a new generation of Gulfstream aircraft that started with the G500 in 2018. We have only just begun."
The G600 received both FAA type and production certificates on June 28, 2019. The aircraft entered service after a design and test program that included flying nearly 100,000 hours in the company's labs and more than 3,200 hours of flying in the air.
The G600 can carry passengers nonstop from Paris to Los Angeles or Hong Kong at an average speed of Mach 0.90 in an interior that won top honors in Private Jet Design at the 2018 International Yacht & Aviation Awards.
The aircraft is equipped with the revolutionary Symmetry Flight Deck, which includes active control sidesticks and 10 touchscreens. The advanced technology has earned Gulfstream several awards, including Aviation Week's 2017 Technology Laureate Award, Business Intelligence Group's 2019 Innovation Award and Avionics Magazine's 2015 Technology Company of the Year.
The G600, which already has more than 10 city-pair speed records, flies 6,500 nautical miles/12,038 kilometers at its long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85. Its maximum operating speed is Mach 0.925, the same as the company flagship Gulfstream G650ER.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics. Headquartered in Falls Church, Va., General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; IT services; C4ISR solutions; and shipbuilding and ship repair. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $36.2 billion in revenue in 2018.