Bombardier’s new Learjet 75 Liberty business jet is planned to enter service in 2020. Launched in July 2019, the Liberty is a re-scoped version of the Learjet 75. It seats six passengers in its standard seating configuration, compared to eight in the standard layout of the baseline Model 75. With the removal of two seats, cabin space is increased and passenger comfort enhanced. The standard Liberty interior includes a two-seat executive suite in the forward portion of the cabin and a four-seat club arrangement in the aft cabin.
Other features of the Liberty include a 2,080-nautical-mile range (compared to 2,040 nm for the Model 75), Gogo ATG 4G wireless connectivity, increased payload, a flat floor throughout the cabin, a standard pocket door between the cockpit and the executive suite, and a previously announced avionics upgrade for the Vision flight deck. The avionics upgrade received FAA certification in January 2020.
Several items that were standard on the baseline Model 75 are optional on the Liberty, including an auxiliary power unit, a lavatory sink, and external lighting.
The Liberty has a list price of $9.9 million. The baseline Learjet 75 had sold for more than $13 million. The Liberty will retain the Model 75’s Part 25 certification, thus distinguishing the new model from much of its Part 23-certified competition.
The Liberty is essentially replacing the baseline Learjet 75 in the Bombardier product line. The introduction of the new version also effectively realigns the market positioning of the Learjet product.
Arguably, the Model 75 had competed in the light medium business jet class, a market segment that Bombardier helped to establish with the Learjet 45, the lineal predecessor to the 75. According to Forecast International’s Civil Aircraft Forecast, the lower price tag, the six-seat interior, and the other changes embodied in the Liberty make the new model more of a direct competitor to light business jets such as the Cessna CJ3+ and CJ4 and the Embraer Phenom 300E. To a great extent, the initial Learjet 75 version already competed with these aircraft, and the Liberty is designed to provide more of a direct challenge to them.
Any customer that might still require a Learjet 75 in the original configuration can order the Liberty with an optional eight-seat cabin as well as other features of the original model that are now available as options on the Liberty.
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Raymond Jaworowski currently co-authors three of Forecast International's best-selling products: Civil Aircraft Forecast, Military Aircraft Forecast, and Rotorcraft Forecast. As a contributor to Aviation Week & Space Technology's Aerospace Source Book, he has authored Aircraft Outlooks, and provided input for the publication's Aircraft Specifications tables. Raymond has represented Forecast International at numerous conferences and trade shows, often as a featured speaker. He is a member of the American Helicopter Society.
