Israel unveils newest business jet

Written by Arieh O'Sullivan
Published Wednesday, October 07, 2009

The luxurious G250 was designed and built in Israel, but will be marketed through US-based Gulfstream Aerospace

A US and Israeli aerospace company have launched the G250, a new mid-size business jet which they hope will dominate the niche when the market recovers from its current slump.

Rolling out on its own power before a crowd of some 600 people, the Gulfstream G250 emerged for its first public view outside a hangar at Israel Aerospace Industries. Under the blare of a ram’s horn, aviation executives cut the traditional ribbon marking its roll out.

This sort of event is very rare in the aviation business, particularly during this economic crisis. Designed and built by the Israel Aerospace Industries near Tel Aviv, Gulfstream’s G250 boasts the longest range; fastest speed; and largest, most luxurious cabin among mid-size executive jets.

Yet, it’s hard to imagine companies splurging $24 million on new business jets in these times. Aircraft sales have slumped by more 50 percent during the past year. But Gulfstream hopes the G250 will conquer the market once it starts to pick up.

“Actually I think it is a good time for the market,” Preston Henne, a Gulfstream vice president told The Media Line. “We have gone through a recession. We think it has bottomed. We have seen signs that it is starting to come back. A lot of indicators say in 2011 we will return to a robust market and that is when this airplane will be certified and go in service. To be going in service with a brand new airplane, best in class at the beginning of a recovery is almost perfect timing.”

The G250 was designed and built by IAI’s Commercial Aircraft Group for Gulfstream, a US-company that specializes in larger business jets. Gulfstream purchased the IAI’s Galaxy Aerospace Company from IAI in 2001 for $330 million to acquire its smaller executive jets to round out its fleet. They have produced and sold over 300 of IAI’s G150 and G200 executive jets. IAI officials said in a press conference that so far they already have nine orders for the new G250 in hand.

The aircraft is scheduled for first flight later this year and is expected to be certified during the course of 2010.

The G-250 can be configured to seat between eight to 10 passengers, depending on the interior layout. With a range of 3,400 nautical miles, the G-250 can fly non-stop from London to Dubai. Its cruising speed is Mach 0.8. Its cruising altitude is 41,000 feet.

It claims to be the most luxurious, comfortable and largest of the mid-size executive jets. It will have leather seats, an enlarged kitchen, and lots of storage space, plus a whole new cockpit packed with the latest Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics and twin Honeywell HTF7250G engines.

As they roll off the production line, the raw aircrafts will be flown to Gulfstream’s plant in Texas where customers will be able to choose its external paint color and the interior configuration.

The G250 will be replacing the G200 which is expected to be phased out.

“It can fly further, faster and with more comfort than any of its competitors,” claimed IAI chairman Yair Shamir. “This is a brand new state of the art flying machine. We put everything here which is top of the envelope of physics and electronics and all the rest.”

IAI plans to produce about two dozen of these flying limousines a year. Israel Aerospace Industries is flourishing at a time when its American competitors are laying off workers. Shamir told The Media Line that the G250 project provided 700 jobs at IAI and an additional 300 thru subcontractors.

Gulfstream, which is marketing the G250, is also targeting customers in China, Russia and the Middle East. But will the fact that the jet is made in Israel prevent Arabs from purchasing the airplane?

“Oh I don’t think so. We have seen acceptance of these airplanes around the world. So I think for us that is not really an issue,” said Gulfstream’s Henne.

Even if the plane meets resistance in the civilian sector, it also has a bright future in military uses. With its 6,000 kilometer range; high altitude and heavy payload capability, the G250, could easily be reconfigured for use as a classic flying platform for airborne warning systems and other applications.

The Israel Air Force recently acquired the G250’s bigger brother, the G550 which serves as its main AWACs, early airborne warning platform.

In its history, the IAI has produced over 800 business aircraft. These include the Westwind, and Astra, G100, G150 and G200.