Flexjet enters 10-year agreement, orders up to 50 Gulfstream aircraft

NBAA—ORLANDO, Fla., 21 Oct. 2014. Flexjet LLC officials have placed orders for up to 50 Gulfstream aircraft, including the new Gulfstream G500, for which Flexjet will be the North American launch customer.

Flexjet will be the sole and exclusive fractional provider offering access to the aircraft, as well as large-aircraft products such as the G450 and the G650, officials say. Flexjet and Gulfstream announced the landmark order during NBAA2014, the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation convention and exhibition.

“Flexjet is privileged to fill the void in the fractional market for new Gulfstream aircraft, becoming the sole and exclusive fractional provider of new Gulfstream aircraft including the G450, G650, and the highly anticipated G500,” says Flexjet Chairman Kenn Ricci. “Our 10-year agreement with Gulfstream will help us meet our owners’ demands for longer-range, larger-cabin aircraft, greatly expanding Flexjet’s global capabilities. We are thankful to be starting a new relationship with Gulfstream, marking a milestone in the history of our two companies and in the fractional ownership industry.”

The order includes:

• The G450, outfitted for 16 passengers and with a range of 4,350 nautical miles/8,056 kilometers with eight passengers.
• The G500, with an all-new design that optimizes speed, wide-cabin comfort and efficiency. The G500, whose first flight is scheduled for 2015, is slated to be able to fly 5,000 nautical miles/9,260 kilometers and is outfitted for 12 passengers.
• The G650, which will seat 12 passengers yet can travel farther, faster, than any other business jet. Its range of 7,000 nautical miles/12,964 kilometers enables it to travel nonstop from the U.S. to Europe or Asia.

In addition to the aircraft order, Flexjet and Gulfstream entered into a Product Support Services Agreement under which Gulfstream will maintain the Flexjet Gulfstream fleet over the next 10 years. Given the global capabilities of these aircraft, Flexjet customers will benefit from the highest-quality maintenance and service from Gulfstream’s worldwide service support structure.

Dallas, Texas-based Flexjet LLC first entered the fractional jet ownership market in 1995. Flexjet now offers fractional jet ownership and leasing.