Bombardier Global Express (c/n 9060, D-AUWE), taxiing at Munich Airport (Franz Josef Strauss Airport), October 2018.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bombardier Aviation – an aviation division of the Canadian corporation Bombardier Inc. – experienced a period of rapid development. At that time, the company acquired several aviation manufacturers, including Canadair (1986), Short Brothers (1989), Learjet (1990) and de Havilland Canada (1992).
The acquisition of Canadair added the Challenger 600 to the company’s portfolio, which turned out to be a successful business jet with significant growth potential. The aircraft also inspired the development of a long-range, modern private jet, capable of carrying eight passengers and having a range of approximately 12,000 kilometres.
Work on the new aircraft began in the early 1990s, with the development process carried out in cooperation with several partner companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Anglo-German joint venture BMW Rolls-Royce.
In October 1991, during the National Business Aviation Association’s annual convention, the concept of the new Bombardier business jet was presented to the public for the first time. The aircraft attracted widespread interest, and as many as 40 examples had been pre-ordered by 1995.
The first prototype of the Bombardier Global Express was completed in mid-1996 and successfully performed its maiden flight in October of that year. In total, four prototypes of the aeroplane were built and used for flight testing.
In 1998, the Global Express received its initial Canadian certification, which was subsequently followed by European and US certification. At the turn of 1998 and 1999, the first aircraft were delivered to customers, and in mid-1999, the new Bombardier business jet officially entered service.
The Global Express is a low-wing monoplane of mixed construction, incorporating aluminium alloy and composite materials. The aircraft has a tricycle landing gear and, depending on the variant, can carry up to 16 or 17 passengers. Its two powerplants are mounted in the aft fuselage and belong to the Rolls-Royce BR700 family of turbofan engines.
The Global Express bizjet family comprises four main versions of the aircraft, starting with the initial, baseline model known simply as the Global Express (or BD-700-1A10 under the manufacturer’s designation). The family of Bombardier private jets was subsequently expanded with the Global XRS (later rebranded as the Global 6000), the Global 5000 and, finally, the Global 5500/6500 series.
Beyond its primary role as a private jet, the Global Express also served as the basis for several military aircraft, including the Saab GlobalEye airborne early warning and control platform, maritime patrol aircraft, surveillance and electronic warfare aeroplanes, as well as communications and command aircraft. The Bombardier business jet is also used by some armed forces as a VIP transport aircraft.
The Global Express D-AUWE, featured in our Photo of the Week series, was manufactured in 2000. Initially registered as M-ATAR, it was used as a private jet by Clive Palmer, an Australian billionaire businessman and politician. Following the collapse of Queensland Nickel, a company controlled by Palmer, the aircraft was sold in 2016, after creditors resolved to place the politician’s aviation company into liquidation.
Completely refurbished in 2018 and registered as D-AUWE, the Global Express began a new career as a charter business jet. The aircraft can carry up to 14 passengers (in a 12+2 configuration) and is operated by a crew of two or three pilots and one flight attendant.
