Gulfstream G280 Sets City-Pair Record on Renewable Fuel

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability by using sustainable alternative jet fuel (SAJF) to power a record-breaking flight by its class-leading super-midsize Gulfstream G280 aircraft. The Savannah-to-Van Nuys, California, journey covered 2,243 nautical miles/4,154 kilometers in 4 hours and 49 minutes at an average speed of Mach 0.85. Flying through headwinds averaging 76 knots, the G280 demonstrated the aircraft’s continued high performance with SAJF.

Wednesday’s city-pair record, along with a G280 demonstration flight on SAJF today for media members and others, is part of an industry event designed to promote the development and adoption of SAJF, Business Jets Fuel Green: A Step Toward Sustainability, at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY).

By mid-2019, Gulfstream expects to offer SAJF to customers using the company’s Long Beach facility. It also plans to use SAJF for its large-cabin completion flights departing from Long Beach Airport.

Gulfstream has used a 30/70 blend of low-carbon, drop-in SAJF and Jet-A in daily operations at its Savannah headquarters since 2016.

The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed SAJF is safe to use. It is chemically equivalent to conventional Jet-A and offers the same performance and safety standards. Each gallon of fuel burned achieves more than a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, relative to petroleum-based jet fuel, on a lifecycle basis.

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

Pending approval by the U.S. National Aeronautic Association, the 64th G280 city-pair – Savannah to Van Nuys – will be sent to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in Switzerland for recognition as a world record.