The jet is used by the Federal Council, Switzerland’s cabinet, and made the news in 2021 after forced landings led to missed diplomatic meetings in Anji in China and Tokyo in Japan. This week, the delivery date for a new jet was announced, reported SRF.
The current plane, a 23-year-old Cessna Citation Excel 560XL, will be replaced in 2025 by a Bombardier Global 7500. The new jet is expected to be used for the first time in spring 2025.
The aircraft is undergoing final assembly in Montreal and is scheduled to be transferred to Switzerland at the end of 2024. Ground and cockpit staff will then be trained before the plane is used for official flights by the end of 2025.
With a range of 14,260 km and a top speed of 982 km/h, the Bombardier jet has a significantly greater range and autonomy than any aircraft in the current fleet. The plane could travel from Bern to Perth in Australia without refuelling.
The twin engined jet, one of the world’s largest business aircraft, has room for 21 seats and will cost Switzerland more than CHF 100 million.
More on this:
SRF article (in German)
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