GULFSTREAM G550 FLIES RECORD BETWEEN U.S. AND U.K. ON SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE JET FUEL

press release





SAVANNAH, Georgia, May 18, 2019 — Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., an industry leader in sustainability, today announced it has set another city-pair speed record on sustainable alternative jet fuel. The record, achieved Friday by the Gulfstream G550™, connected Charleston, South Carolina, with Farnborough, England, a distance of 3,591 nautical miles/6,651 kilometers, at an average speed of Mach 0.85 in 7 hours and 13 minutes.

The city-pair record, along with a G550 demonstration flight on SAJF today to Geneva for next week’s European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, is part of a second industry event designed to promote the development and adoption of SAJF. The first took place in January in Van Nuys, California.

“Our record-breaking flight on the G550 is another example of our aircraft’s continued high performance with SAJF,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “We first used SAJF in June 2011 to cross the Atlantic on a G450 and have used it since 2016 with our corporate, demonstration, Customer Support and flight-test aircraft. This is a fuel that we use in Savannah and the fuel that we recommend – and sell – to our customers in Long Beach, California. It is safe, approved, does not hinder aircraft performance and provides a long-term benefit to the environment.

“As an industry, we must continue to promote SAJF and its benefits and collaborate to find a solution for the infrastructure and economic challenges that impede widespread use of the fuel around the world.”

In February, Gulfstream had its first sale and delivery of SAJF to a Gulfstream operator. The customer, a U.S.-based multinational corporation, purchased 20,000 pounds of SAJF from Gulfstream’s Long Beach facility for its G550.

This month, Gulfstream is expected to begin regular sales of SAJF to customers in Long Beach. It will also start using SAJF to power large-cabin completion flights departing from Long Beach Airport. California-based World Energy, which has a refinery approximately 10 miles from Long Beach Airport, refines the SAJF provided by World Fuel Services.

The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed SAJF is safe to use, and Gulfstream has proven that by flying nearly 800,000 nm/1.5 million km and setting five city-pair records on SAJF. SAJF meets the same fuel specification as conventional Jet-A and offers at least the same performance and safety standards. Each gallon of fuel burned achieves more than a 50 percent reduction in C02 emissions, relative to petroleum-based jet fuel, on a lifecycle basis.

Gulfstream’s sustainability strategy helps support industry goals established by the NBAA, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and the International Business Aviation Council. In addition to the goal of carbon-neutral growth by 2020, the industry’s targets include an improvement in fuel efficiency and reduction in total carbon dioxide emissions.



Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 2,800 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the Gulfstream G280TM, the Gulfstream G550TM, the Gulfstream G500TM, the Gulfstream G600TM, the Gulfstream G650TM and the Gulfstream G650ERTM. We invite you to visit our website for more information and photos at www.gulfstreamnews.com.

More information about General Dynamics is available at www.generaldynamics.com.