Gulfstream added four new city-pair speed records to its trophy shelf following trips to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last month by its G600 and G700 twinjets. The aircraft notched records on both their outbound legs from the U.S. to Riyadh, where they participated in a regional customer showcase, as well as on their return.
The fully-outfitted G700 production aircraft flew nonstop on October 23 from Houston to the Saudi capital, with the 7,172-nm trip representing its longest flight to date. Conducted using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), it made the flight in 13 hours and 40 minutes. Its stablemate G600 departed Washington, D.C., the same day and flew 6,146 miles, also on a SAF blend, in 11 hours and 39 minutes.
For the return leg on October 29, the G700 traveled 6,507 nm from Riyadh to its home base in Savannah, Georgia, in 13 hours, 55 minutes at an average speed of Mach 0.875. The G600 returned from the Middle East to Teterboro Airport, covering the 5,915 nm in 12 hours and 56 minutes. The airframer is applying carbon credits for all the record-setting flights to be carbon neutral.
“These city-pair records showcase the ability of our aircraft to help our customers reach their destinations faster,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns, adding the company is eagerly anticipating the G700’s entry into service later next year.