2025's Fastest Private Jet Nearly Breaks The Speed Of Sound

Ultra-wealthy buyers looking for a private jet have a huge range of options to choose from. At one end of the market, the smallest private jets hold only a handful of passengers. Meanwhile, at the other end, the largest, most capable private jets offer flyers the ability to cross the globe in the same level of comfort and luxury as a high-end hotel suite. The Bombardier Global 8000 is aimed squarely towards the very top end of the market, offering buyers the chance to hop between continents at unprecedented speed.

Bombardier claims that the Global 8000 can hit an official top speed of Mach 0.94, equivalent to around 721 mph. That's only slightly short of the speed of sound (Mach 1), which is around 767 mph. It's also slightly faster than rivals like the Cessna Citation X+, which can hit a top speed of Mach 0.935. The Global 8000's maximum cruise speed is Mach 0.92, again an unprecedented figure.

At its peak cruising speed, the jet's maximum range is relatively short, at just 4,200 nautical miles. However, that range jumps to 8,000 nautical miles at slower cruising speeds. That maximum range is long enough to travel between New York and Hong Kong, or between Los Angeles and Sydney, without needing to refuel.

The Global 8000's speed is not only a first for a private jet, but it's also the highest speed achieved by a civilian aircraft since Concorde. Despite multiple attempts by various companies over the years, supersonic passenger aircraft have yet to return to the skies since Concorde was discontinued following a tragic crash. While a future return remains possible, for now, the Global 8000 remains the fastest way to travel between continents.

It might be faster than any business jet before it, but Bombardier's latest aircraft isn't a clean-sheet design. Instead, its design is based on the Global 7500, which first launched in 2018. Much like its predecessor, the Global 8000 offers passengers various cabin layouts, with up to four distinct zones available for various uses. These zones can include bedrooms, dining areas, or lounge areas, and are fully customizable by the buyer. Its cabin altitude is also among the lowest on the market, at 2,900 feet, and it circulates cabin air through a HEPA filter to capture allergens and viruses.

Bombardier hasn't publicly released pricing details for its most capable private jet, but reports have pegged its starting price at around $80 million. That might seem like a huge sum, but it's still far less than the world's most expensive private jet, which reportedly cost its owner around $400 million.