Hong Kong – Reported by Elite Traveler, the Private Jet Lifestyle Magazine
In ceremonies at the Asian Business Aviation air show in Hong Kong this week, Gulfstream signed a sales agreement with Hainan Airlines Group for one large-cabin, long-range G450 business jet and four large-cabin, ultra-long-range G550 business jets. The aircraft will be operated by the airline’s business-jet subsidiary, Deer Jet. The aircraft will enter service in 2012.
Deer Jet, based in Beijing, owns or manages more than 20 Gulfstream aircraft, making it the largest Gulfstream operator in China and one of the largest in the world. In 2006, Deer Jet was the first in China to place a Gulfstream aircraft into service, and has helped Gulfstream establish a presence as the leading business-jet brand in China.
Gulfstream President Joe Lombardo commented on the strong relationship between the two companies and pledged the excellent product support for which Gulfstream is known.
“We are delighted by this new phase of our relationship,” Lombardo said, “and look forward to it growing and deepening in the future.”
Gulfstream’s large-cabin aircraft, including the G450 and G550, are some of the most popular aircraft in China. The G550 is powered by enhanced Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofan engines and has a range of 6,750 nm (12,501 km) at Mach 0.80 and a high-speed cruise capability of Mach 0.87. With its long legs, the G550 easily connects Washington, D.C., to Dubai; London to Singapore; and Tokyo to Paris. The G550 is renowned for its technologically advanced design and was awarded the National Aeronautic Association’s Robert J. Collier Trophy, the most prestigious aviation award in the United States.
The Gulfstream G450 is a direct descendent of the storied GIV®-series of aircraft, the best-selling business jet in the world. One of the most dependable aircraft in its class, the G450 recently received updates to its payload-carrying capability and performance. It can reach a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.88 and carry a team of eight up to 4,350 nautical miles (8,056 km) at its normal cruise speed of Mach 0.80.