Flexjet adds Gulfstream G500 to fleet

Flexjet has formally added the Gulfstream G500 to its fleet, expanding its Gulfstream offering to four aircraft types and reinforcing an exclusive agreement with the manufacturer that bars other fractional providers from receiving new G500 and G700 deliveries.

The G500 will gradually replace the G450 as Flexjet’s large-cabin aircraft going forward, joining the G700, G650 and G450 already in service. Flexjet says it now operates the largest owned, operated and maintained Gulfstream fleet in the world.

The G500 offers a range of 5,200nm, a top cruising speed of Mach 0.90 and is 33% more fuel-efficient than its predecessor, capable of flying nearly 1,000nm further on the same amount of fuel.

The aircraft features 14 oversized cabin windows, a cabin altitude of 3,255ft at cruise, and 100% fresh air replenished every two to three minutes.

Flexjet’s relationship with Gulfstream dates to 2014, when chairman Kenn Ricci, a Gulfstream pilot himself, placed a large order for new Gulfstream aircraft after acquiring Flexjet, shifting the company away from an exclusively Bombardier fleet.

Last year the company introduced the ultra-long-range G700, bringing its Gulfstream line-up to its current four types.