Some of you might not remember the Concorde, but back its heyday, which started in the seventies, it was the most awe-inspiring passenger plane of its time. It held the title of being the only commercial supersonic (read: faster than the speed of sound or very, very fast) aircraft. All Concorde planes were grounded due to high maintenance costs, a few years after the infamous crash in 2003.
The title, however, may not be relevant for much longer. Bombardier, a company that manufactures business jets aka private jets, has revealed the Global 8000, which they claim is the fastest commercial plane you can board (or buy) today.
During test flights in 2021, Bombardier said the aircraft were able to achieve a maximum supersonic speed of Mach 1.015 while being accompanied by a NASA F/A-18 chase plane. However, the Concorde could supercruise up to Mach 2.04 while the Global 8000’s cruise speed is a “mere” Mach 0.85. Still, the Global 8000 will be faster than any other planes in the sky today, and you’d beat all your friends getting to the destination.
The Bombardier aircraft has a wingspan of 104 ft and the Smooth Flĕx Wing design lets it operate on short runways while providing maximum control and stability. A pair of GE Passport engines cranks out 18,920 lb of thrust.
The Concorde could accommodate up to 128 passengers and while it was considered a glamourous way to travel, because tickets were expensive, the Global 8000 is even more luxurious. Made to carry up to only 19 passengers (only!), the interior cabin has four bespoke living zones which has the lowest cabin altitude, equivalent to 2,900 ft when flying at 41,000 ft; in other words, it’s more comfortable being in this cabin than most others. The air is renewed every 90 seconds with a HEPA filter whereas in other commercial flights, it takes 2 to 4 minutes for the air to be completely refreshed.
The Global 8000 jet is still in development and expected to enter service in 2025.
