The Gulfstream G700: The New Standard in Ultra-Long-Range Business Aviation

Gulfstream's Answer to the Global 7500

The Gulfstream G700 received its FAA type certificate in March 2022 and began customer deliveries in early 2023. The aircraft was designed with a single objective: surpass the Bombardier Global 7500 in every measurable cabin and performance metric. At 7,750 NM range and Mach 0.85 long-range cruise, the G700 matches the Global 7500's reach. Where it separates itself is the cabin: 56 feet 11 inches long, 8 feet 2 inches wide, and 6 feet 3 inches tall, making it the tallest, widest, and longest cabin in purpose-built business aviation.

The G700 is powered by two Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines, each producing 18,250 lbs of thrust. The Pearl 700 is a clean-sheet turbofan developed specifically for the G700 and G800, derived from Rolls-Royce's BR700 family but with a new core, improved compressor, and advanced materials that increase efficiency by 5% over the previous generation. The engines produce lower noise and emissions than the Rolls-Royce BR710 units on the G550 and BR725 on the G650, while delivering significantly more thrust.

Performance Specifications

The G700 is a larger aircraft than the G650ER in every dimension. Its maximum takeoff weight of 107,600 lbs (48,800 kg) exceeds the G650ER by 8,000 lbs, and its cabin is 10 feet longer. This size increase comes with a fuel burn penalty: the G700 burns approximately 420-450 gallons per hour at long-range cruise versus the G650ER's 380-420 GPH. At $7.00 per gallon, the G700 costs roughly $280-$350 more per flight hour in fuel than the G650ER.

The G700's most impressive performance figure is its high-speed range: at Mach 0.90, the aircraft still achieves 6,400 NM. This means an operator can fly New York to Dubai at near-maximum cruise speed without sacrificing the ability to complete the mission nonstop. At Mach 0.85, the G700 covers New York to Tokyo (6,740 NM) with NBAA IFR reserves. No other purpose-built business jet combines this speed and range envelope.

The Cabin: Five Living Areas in 57 Feet

The G700 cabin accommodates up to five distinct living areas and can be configured for 13-19 passengers depending on seating density. The standard floorplan includes a forward club section (4 seats), a conference/dining group (4-6 seats), a lounge with entertainment credenza, a private stateroom with a berthing divan, and an aft lavatory with shower. Gulfstream offers 11 standard floorplan configurations and unlimited custom options.

Cabin altitude at FL410 is 2,916 feet, and at FL430 it drops to 3,810 feet. These are among the lowest cabin altitudes in business aviation, reducing passenger fatigue on flights exceeding 10 hours. The cabin pressurization system maintains sea-level pressure up to FL295. Gulfstream's 100% fresh-air circulation system cycles the entire cabin volume every 2-3 minutes with no recirculated air, a meaningful improvement over the G650's already-excellent environmental system.

The Symmetry Flight Deck: PlaneView III

The G700 introduces Gulfstream's Symmetry Flight Deck, the most advanced cockpit in business aviation. The system features 10 touchscreen displays (eliminating most physical switches), active control sidesticks (a first in civil aviation, providing tactile feedback to both pilots simultaneously), and Honeywell Primus Epic-based avionics with enhanced synthetic vision, head-up displays with enhanced vision, and predictive landing performance.

The active control sidesticks deserve emphasis. Unlike passive sidesticks on Airbus commercial aircraft (where one pilot cannot feel what the other is doing), the G700's sticks are electronically coupled: inputs from the flying pilot are mechanically replicated on the monitoring pilot's stick. This prevents the dual-input scenarios that have contributed to accidents in passive-sidestick aircraft. Combined with fly-by-wire flight controls, the G700 offers handling precision that pilots describe as significantly smoother than the G650's conventional yoke-and-cable system.

• 10 touchscreen displays replace 90+ physical switches and knobs
• Active control sidesticks: industry first in civil aviation
• Dual head-up displays with enhanced vision system (EVS) standard
• Predictive landing performance system for contaminated runways
• FANS/CPDLC datalink for oceanic and remote airspace
• Combined vision system (synthetic + enhanced) overlaid on HUD
• Reduced pilot workload enables more attention to passenger experience

Market Position and Pricing

The G700 lists at approximately $78 million, positioning it between the G650ER ($71.5 million, still in production) and the theoretical ceiling of purpose-built business jets. The Bombardier Global 7500 lists at $75 million, making the G700 approximately $3 million more expensive. Early pre-owned G700 transactions (2023-2024 delivery aircraft) have occurred at $72-$78 million, reflecting strong demand and limited supply during the production ramp.

Charter rates for the G700 range from $15,000 to $18,000 per flight hour, approximately 10-15% above G650ER rates. The premium reflects the newer aircraft, larger cabin, and lower availability (fewer G700s in the charter fleet as of mid-2026). For corporate flight departments acquiring the G700, total annual operating costs at 400 flight hours are estimated at $4.2-$4.8 million, including crew, maintenance, insurance, hangar, and management.

The G700 and G800 share the same airframe, engines, and cockpit. The G800 sacrifices approximately 5 feet of cabin length to carry additional fuel, extending range to 8,000 NM, the longest range of any purpose-built business jet. For operators who need New York to Singapore nonstop, the G800 is the only current option. For all other missions, the G700's longer cabin is the better trade.