The Bombardier Challenger 350 jet was the most delivered super midsize business aircraft in 2018, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
It was the second year in a row that the aircraft was the industry’s top dog, with a total of 60 aircraft delivered, representing 58 percent of deliveries in the segment. The price of a new Challenger 350 is $25.9 million.
“As business jet shipments show continued strength, we are confident that the Challenger 350 business jet will remain the leading choice of knowledgeable and experienced operators across the globe,” said Peter Likoray, senior vice president, Worldwide Sales and Marketing at Bombardier.
The Challenger 350 aircraft can reach a speed of Mach 0.83 while offering a smooth and efficient ride. The aircraft is designed to take off from and land at challenging airfields with its steep approach capability: it can climb quickly and directly to 43,000 feet—almost reaching its maximum operating altitude of 45,000 feet. This means it can land in London City Airport, Aspen and Lugano—and it’s not a stretch to imagine the plane’s owner having a private and secluded runway to land on. It also means the aircraft has the maneuverability to avoid traffic and rough weather.
The executive jet also has an impressive range: with all 10 seats occupied and the fuel tanks full, the plane can fly from New York to Los Angeles or Hong Kong to Mumbai. And it can do so at the lowest direct operating costs in its category. Bombardier claims the plane has longer maintenance intervals than the competition.
The ride is luxurious as well, with a wide, spacious cabin that has hand-sculpted seats and a flat floor designed for safe and easy movement. Its cabin management system is controlled by an intuitive interface and includes extensive connectivity features, immersive sound and ergonomically positioned touchscreens.
Bombardier’s Challenger 300 series, which includes the 350, has been a resounding success for the Canadian planemaker. In the last decade, the series accounted for more deliveries than any other business jet platform in the industry, and it surpassed the 700-delivery mark worldwide in 2018.
The business jet market is on an upswing, thanks in part to a strong U.S. economy and the introduction of new and reinvented aircraft models. And while output in the market’s midsize sector decreased slightly in 2018, Bombardier actually saw an increase of four Challenger 350 orders. The jet has been a consistently strong performer in the market—and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime soon.
Read more about Bombardier’s planes at High Hopes for Bombardier's Global 7500 Business Jet in 2019.