Savannah-based Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced Wednesday that its G650ER business jet has been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The ultra-long-range G650ER, announced by Gulfstream in May as a modified version of its flagship G650, can travel 500 nautical miles farther than the G650, which entered service in 2012 and continues to have a substantial order backlog of more than two years.
FAA certification verifies the airworthiness of the aircraft’s design and clears the way for G650ER deliveries to begin.
Gulfstream expects to deliver the first fully outfitted G650ER business jets to customers before year-end, ahead of the projected 2015 delivery date.
“We’re excited to get this aircraft into the hands of customers, so they can see just how powerful it is,” said Gulfstream president Larry Flynn.
“They’ll quickly discover that the G650ER shares many key characteristics with its sister ship, the G650, including a speed-and-range combination that makes it a game-changing aircraft. In short, the G650ER goes farther at faster speeds than any other business jet on the market.”
The airplane can travel 7,500 nautical miles at Mach 0.85 and 6,400 nautical miles at Mach 0.90, making it capable of connecting Hong Kong and New York, Dallas and Dubai.
The Savannah-built G650ER shares the same cabin, avionics and systems as the G650 and is expected to carry a $66 million price tag, approximately $1.5 million higher than the G650.
Current G650 owners and order-holders can upgrade their original G650 to a G650ER, beginning early next year.