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Q&a / Gulfstream boss Mark Burns on sustainability and private jets, and why the new long-range G700 and G800 aircraft will transform how business executives travel forever

STORYJames Durston
Gulfstream president Mark Burns says the time savings your can find on private jets are often underappreciated. Photos: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
Gulfstream president Mark Burns says the time savings your can find on private jets are often underappreciated. Photos: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
Aviation

  • What three things does the leader of the exclusive private jet firm not travel without, and how has travel really changed since the pandemic? We asked, he told
  • The fleet’s new flagship Gulfstream G700 has the most spacious cabin in the industry while the Gulfstream G800 will have the longest range, saving hours of travellers’ lives

As skies brighten after a turbulent two years in air travel, what lessons has private aviation learned and how will it make up for lost time? Gulfstream Aerospace president Mark Burns gives his long-range take.

If you could go back to before Covid-19, what decisions would you make or change, given what we now know?

As soon as news of the pandemic first appeared, we shifted our focus to protecting our employees, their families and our customers. Thanks to that vigilance, combined with our disciplined business practices and unrelenting customer focus, we really emerged from the pandemic stronger than we were before.

The pandemic hit the travel industry hard – how did Gulfstream manage?

In the second half of 2020 we saw heightened interest in business aviation and, specifically, in Gulfstream. That momentum has continued to build, and we are now experiencing record sales of our aircraft across the product line.

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Gulfstream G700. Photo: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
Gulfstream G700. Photo: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.

What can we expect to see from Gulfstream in the next couple of years?

Our focus over the foreseeable future is continuing to create and deliver the world’s finest aviation experience. A major part of this focus is to certify and deliver our new flagship Gulfstream G700, which has the most spacious cabin in our industry, and will be followed by the certification of the Gulfstream G800, the longest-range aircraft in the industry. We are also currently in the midst of producing the flight-test aircraft for another new programme, the Gulfstream G400, which is the first new entrant into the large-cabin business aircraft class in more than a decade.

At Gulfstream, we are operating at an unprecedented pace. Each aircraft, from the super-midsize G280 to the G650, G650ER and our next-generation G400, G500, G600, G700 and G800, have set new standards in terms of safety, high-speed performance, environmental efficiency and unmatched cabin experience.

Gulfstream G700. Photo: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
Gulfstream G700. Photo: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.

What do you enjoy about what you do?

Getting together with customers face to face is really what inspires me. With the recently launched G700 world tour, we are doing just that as we fly to more than 20 cities across six continents. I love seeing customers’ reaction to both the flight-deck technology and the amazing cabin flexibility and finish – you really do need to see it in person to experience everything the aircraft has to offer.

When buying a luxury or business jet, what do people often get wrong?