Since the Learjet 23 took to the skies in the early 1960s, innovations in business air travel have aimed ever higher. Aviation writer and historian Dan Pimentel looks at 15 jets that revolutionized the form, both technically and aesthetically, over the last six decades.
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Learjet 23
Image Credit: Learjet FIRST FLIGHT: October 7, 1963
IMPACT: Invented the light-jet segment for corporate travel.
VERDICT: “With a 561 mph speed, six-passenger cabin and modern styling, the 23 reimagined regional travel while delivering a sexy, James Bond ramp appeal.”
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Gulfstream II
Image Credit: Gulfstream FIRST FLIGHT: October 2, 1966
IMPACT: First large business jet with an exquisite cabin and extended range.
VERDICT: “With a stout airframe to withstand heavy transport demands, the GII became the executive transcontinental jet of choice.”
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Dassault Falcon 50
Image Credit: Adobe Stock Image FIRST FLIGHT: November 7, 1976
IMPACT: Dramatically extended range in the super-midsize category.
VERDICT: “The three-engine design—the first of its kind—made nonstop travel across the North Atlantic or continental US possible, setting the stage for decades of successful tri-jet Falcons.”
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Cessna Citation X
Image Credit: Cessna FIRST FLIGHT: December 21, 1993
IMPACT: Clean-sheet design that shattered Cessna’s image as a maker of slow jets.
VERDICT: “The X was Cessna’s counterpunch to Learjet, making it an instant super-midsize category leader with its 607 mph top speed.”
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Bombardier Global Express
Image Credit: Bombardier FIRST FLIGHT: October 13, 1996
IMPACT: A revolution in ultra-long range, large-cabin private jets.
VERDICT: “With its 6,000-nautical-mile range, for the first time 16 passengers could travel, with at most one fuel stop, between any two points on Earth.”
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Embraer Phenom 300
Image Credit: Embraer FIRST FLIGHT: April 29, 2008
IMPACT: Breakthrough design in a light-jet airframe.
VERDICT: “The best of what a small executive jet can be, with a single-pilot flight deck, 2,000-nautical-mile range, advanced cabin entertainment and room for nine passengers.”
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Citation Latitude
Image Credit: Citation FIRST FLIGHT: February 18, 2014
IMPACT: Reinvigorated the midsize-jet category with a clean-sheet fuselage.
VERDICT: “The enhancements included a lower cabin air pressure, flat floor and Garmin’s G5000 avionics that made the Latitude a favorite among pilots.”
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Airbus ACJ320neo
Image Credit: Airbus FIRST FLIGHT: November 19, 2018
IMPACT: Bespoke interiors and a 6,000-nautical-mile range make it the pinnacle of air travel for up to 25.
VERDICT: “The cabin on this massive wide-body, 15 percent larger than its closest competitor, can be laid out in highly creative configurations.”
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BBJ MAX 7
Image Credit: Boeing Business Jets FIRST FLIGHT: March 16, 2018
IMPACT: With the lowest operating costs of any BBJ model, the Max 7 is the evolution of the BBJ Max 8 and Max 9, delivering 7,000 miles of range with its more fuel-efficient LEAP-1B engines. Its enormous cabin is 85 feet long and 11 feet wide, for about 884 square feet.
VERDICT: “When the 737 Max comes back online, passengers will love the space and solitude of the Max 7’s luxurious cabin and owners will surely notice the increased ROI.”
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Gulfstream G700
Image Credit: Gulfstream FIRST FLIGHT: February 14, 2020
IMPACT: Longest, widest and tallest cabin of any business jet, featuring five living zones.
VERDICT: “Travel up to 7,500 miles in a cabin that minimizes jet lag with true circadian lighting while being bathed in sunlight from 20 panoramic oval windows.”
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Bombardier Challenger 3500
Image Credit: Bombardier First Flight: Late 2022
IMPACT: The Challenger emerges as a new contender for the best interior in its class.
VERDICT: Bombardier funneled money into this project during the Pandemic as the demand for private jets boomed.
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Bombardier Global 7500
Image Credit: Bombardier FIRST FLIGHT: November 4, 2016
IMPACT: The development program alone for this plane cost more than $1 billion.
VERDICT: The Global 7500 is unbeatable for flying coast to coast. She holds the record with a flight from Van Nuys to Teterboro that clocked in under four hours.
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Dassault 6X
Image Credit: Dassault FIRST FLIGHT: March 10, 2021
IMPACT: The 6X has a notably efficient new engine—the PW812D—developed by Pratt & Whitney.
VERDICT: This jet’s extra-wide body pairs well with tech developed for military use to create an exciting newcomer on the scene.
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Gulfstream GV
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons FIRST FLIGHT: November 28, 1995
IMPACT: None other than Steve Jobs received this jet as part of his comp package from Apple in 2000.
VERDICT: Popular among celebrities and international businessmen, the long-range GV can fly from Los Angeles to Shanghai.
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Lockheed JetStar
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons FIRST FLIGHT: September 4, 1957
IMPACT: The Lockheed JetStar was literally the first in its class. It was the first business jet to enter dedicated service.
VERDICT: The jet that started it all had a maximum cruising speed of 567 mph—not bad for her relatively hefty 44,500-pound frame.
