Gulfstream Aerospace Corp recently completed an expansion of its manufacturing facility in Savannah, Georgia, for the company’s G400, G500, and G600 business jets. The expansion has increased the capacity of the facility by 13,192 square meters (142,000 square feet).
Gulfstream designed the G400, G500, and G600 to share a number of commonalities that not only increase operational efficiencies, but manufacturing efficiencies as well. The commonalities resulted in Gulfstream having the flexibility to easily expand its production lines in order to meet the growing demand for the aircraft.
The G400, G500, and G600 are members of an all-new business jet family from Gulfstream that spans the large-cabin and portions of the long-range classes of the business jet market. The G500 and G600 entered service in 2018 and 2019, respectively. To date, Gulfstream has delivered to customers more than 100 of each model. The two jets are situated in the long-range class, though in separate sub-niches of that segment.
The G400 is currently in development and is slated to enter service in 2025. It represents Gulfstream’s return to the large-cabin class of the market, where it competes with the Bombardier Challenger 650 and Dassault Falcon 2000LXS.
The production facility expansion is part of Gulfstream’s strategic plan that, in Savannah, also includes expansions of the firm’s Customer Support service center as well as of wing and empennage production. These latest investments total $150 million. In addition to the Savannah expansions, Gulfstream has increased completion and outfitting capabilities in Appleton, Wisconsin, and at St. Louis Downtown Airport in Illinois, and continues to expand Customer Support operations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Mesa, Arizona.
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.
