Gulfstream met with the press earlier yesterday to dispel industry rumors that production of the G280 would cease. Gulfstream President Mark Burns emphatically stated that the company was moving forward with the G280, stating “there is investment going on in all of our product lines and our commitment to the G280 remains strong.”
He references a 2018 report in Israeli media that Gulfstream and IAI had signed off on the P32 project, believed to be an upgraded G280, and committed $80 million to the joint venture to match a Gulfstream investment as a potential source to the rumors. Burns indicated that “our commitment is not to episodic in our investment. It is to make sure that we continuously invest to have the right product for the market at the right time. It is why we are still committed to the G280 because we believe it is the right product at this point.”
While Mark Burns did not deny that an upgraded aircraft was a possibility, Gulfstream did reveal a number of potential upgrades to the aircraft that are in the works. Those include a predictive landing system like the system on the G700, cabin altitude improvements, upgraded LED lighting. upgraded cabin electronics, and other items.
New developments include a surface management system to reduce the risk of runway incursion, access to vertical weather and wind shear information, external LED lighting, a de-ionization fresh air system, a 360 degree HD camera, and increasing RSVM validation intervals to eight years. They are also looking at making the aircraft FANS En Route compliant to enable priority treatment from ATC, which the G280 is helping to test.
The G280 fleet has grown to 212, with more than 250,000 flight hours and 160,000 landings. The company indicates a 99.78% dispatch reliability for the G280.
Mark Burns was cautiously optimistic about the market, indicating that the pandemic had a significant impact, but that the market appears stronger in 2021. “I see a changing dynamic among customers and actually see a broader customer base right now for all our product lines, include the G280, as more people see the value of business aviation.”
