Bombardier celebrated the entry into service of its Global 8000 business jet at a ceremony on Monday, marking the debut of the world’s fastest civil aircraft since the Concorde.

The first customer delivery took place at Bombardier’s Aircraft Assembly Centre in Mississauga, where hundreds of employees, government officials, and suppliers were in attendance. Canadian businessman and longtime Bombardier customer, Patrick Dovigi, accepted the keys to the brand-new private jet, which will replace his Global 7500. The aircraft will operate under Chartright Air Group, a Canadian operator.

“Managing this best-in-class aircraft on behalf of our client reflects the depth of our trusted operational expertise and the strength of our longstanding relationship with Bombardier,” said Chartright CEO Ben Boehm. “As the first to introduce the Global 7500 in Canada, we are proud to carry that legacy forward with the Global 8000. This milestone represents a significant achievement for our Chartright team and an important moment for both our company and the Canadian aerospace industry.”

The Global 8000 has a top speed of Mach 0.95, which was announced earlier this year at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas. The aircraft has a range of 8,000 nautical miles, and what Bombardier says is the lowest cabin altitude in business aviation production of 2,691 feet at a cruise altitude of 41,000 feet.

Source: Business Aviation News