Transport Canada certificates Bombardier’s Global 5500 and Global 6500

Transport Canada, the Canadian civil aviation authority, has given type certificates to both the Bombardier Global 5500 and Global 6500.

Deliveries can now begin to Canadian customers. Bombardier says that certification by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as well as by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is expected to follow shortly.

“Following their dramatic unveiling last year, these aircraft continue to surprise and surpass expectations. Thanks to a new wing design and custom-made Rolls-Royce Pearl engines, the Global 5500 and Global 6500 jets boast farthest-in-class ranges, offering unrivalled performance and unsurpassed passenger comfort, at exceptional operating costs,” said David Coleal, president, Bombardier Aviation. “Not only did we deliver on our commitments, but we did on schedule, demonstrating the ingenuity, skill, rigor and consummate professionalism that is inherent to the longstanding winning DNA of our dedicated team members.”

Bombardier announced the two aircraft on the eve of the 2018 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland. It managed to keep the development of the aircraft away from the public eye, so much so that a Global 6500 flew from the US to Geneva under its own power.

The aircraft themselves are onwards developments of the Global 5000 and Global 6000, with the main difference being a switch to newer engines.

The Rolls-Royce Pearl series engines were developed in Germany, with the design brief dictating that the new engines had to fit onto the existing engine pylons mounted on the fuselage.

The new engines burn 13% less fuel than the engines powering the Global 5000 and Global 6000. As well as helping reduce operating costs, the new engines also help to boost the range of the new aircraft, with the Global 5500 having a maximum range of 5,700nm and the Global 6500 being able to fly for 6,600nm.