Speed record set on flight from Canada to France by this jet built in Mississauga

Over the past couple of years as it was preparing to enter into service, Bombardier’s Global 8000 was advertised as the world’s fastest business jet.

The Mississauga-manufactured aircraft, which officially took to the skies last December and travels at just below the speed of sound, recently backed up the claim with a record-setting Canada-to-France flight completed in just over six hours, officials with the Montreal-based global aviation company said.

The aerospace firm, which assembles the Global 8000 private jet at its relatively new $670-million state-of-the-art Aircraft Assembly Centre at Toronto Pearson Airport in Mississauga, added the inaugural speed record demonstrates the plane’s ability “to connect destinations around the world quicker than any other business jet in the skies.”

The record-setting flight departed Montreal late last week and landed a half dozen hours later in Nice, France. Passengers, including Bombardier President and CEO Eric Martel, were travelling to the Monaco Grand Prix, the company said in a news release.

“Bombardier’s Global 8000 business jet is truly in a class by itself when it comes to speed, luxury and performance — setting the pace in the ultra-long-range class,” said Stephen McCullough, Bombardier’s executive vice president engineering, product development and defence. “With this latest accomplishment, the Global 8000 aircraft continues to illustrate its industry-leading attributes on all fronts, from its signature smooth ride to its outstanding performance and landing capabilities.” 

Tradeshow debut in South America

Last month, the new business jet made yet another jump onto the international stage with its tradeshow debut May 21-23 at the Catarina Aviation Show in São Paulo, Brazil.

At $78 million apiece and with room for 19 passengers, the Canadian company’s new flagship private plane was on display for three days at the show, allowing visitors “the opportunity to tour the fastest business jet on the planet,” Bombardier brass said in an earlier news release, adding two of its other private aircraft — the Global 6500 and Challenger 3500 — also appeared at the South American tradeshow.

The Global 8000 received the long-awaited go-ahead for full production early last November. It was awarded Transport Canada Type certification at that time, which paved the way for its “entry into service” in early December.

From there, the jet, dubbed by company executives “Bombardier’s flagship for a new era,” received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification on Dec. 19 followed by European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification on Jan. 23. 

Described early last year by its creators as the “ultimate time machine” and “fastest civil aircraft since the Concorde,” the Global 8000 provides a top operating speed of Mach .95 (about 1,164 km/h) and a range of 14,816 kilometres (9,206 miles/8,000 nautical miles).

Nonstop travel between “more city pairs than ever before”

That range allows Bombardier’s new business aircraft to offer “nonstop travel between more city pairs than ever before,” company officials said earlier, adding it also enables passengers “to fly faster and farther than ever before.”

The Global 8000 successfully completed its inaugural flight in early 2025 (see video below). At that time, it was being marketed with a top operating speed of Mach .94 (about 1,151 km/h) — but as development continued, the aircraft’s speed was slightly increased. Mach 1, the speed of sound, is measured at around 1,234 km/h.

Bombardier officials unveiled the new top speed for the Global 8000 last October in Las Vegas at the National Business Aviation Association convention and trade show.

In making that announcement, they noted Mach .95 is the “highest speed in civil aviation,” making the company’s new flagship aircraft “the fastest business jet in history.”

Bombardier also points out that while the top operating speed of the Global 8000 is slightly less than the speed of sound, the jet “went supersonic in testing” — exceeding the speed of sound — when it was still in development.

During a test flight in May 2021 observed by a NASA-operated Boeing F-18 fighter, the new Bombardier private jet broke the sound barrier when it recorded a speed of Mach 1.015, or 1,243 km/h.

(Cover photo: Bombardier)