The Gulfstream G500 and Gulfstream G600 have successfully demonstrated steep-approach landings into London City Airport in England, as well as Lugano Airport and Sion Airport in Switzerland. The milestone demonstrations of low-speed handling and short-field landing capability were celebrated with a new city-pair record run.
Following official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) steep-approach certification, anticipated next year, the G500 and G600 will gain access to challenging airports such as London City, which requires the certification due to its short runway and stringent noise-abatement requirements, as well as Lugano and similar airports located in the mountainous region of Switzerland. Lugano’s short runway, situated in the mouth of a valley, requires an extremely steep approach.
Following the landing demonstrations, the G500 and G600 each claimed city-pair speed records, departing London City Airport at average cruise speeds of Mach 0.90 and above. The G500 flew 3,077 nautical miles/5,699 kilometres to Teterboro Airport near New York in just 6 hours and 46 minutes, beating the previous record by 12 minutes despite challenging headwinds. The G600 set its own speed record from London to Seattle, completing its 4,235-nm/7,843-km flight in just 8 hours and 39 minutes.
