Global 8000 cleared for steep London City approaches

Bombardier’s Global 8000 has been cleared by the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority to land at London City Airport, effective immediately for aircraft with the relevant steep-approach approval. That puts the company’s newest ultra-long-range jet closer to London’s financial district than the usual big-jet gateways such as Farnborough or Luton.

The numbers are the point: Bombardier lists the Global 8000 at Mach 0.95 and 8,000 nautical miles of range. The company says the London City approval can save 60 to 90 minutes of ground travel and allows nonstop trips into LCY from places including Singapore, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Buenos Aires.

London City is a hard airport for large aircraft because of its steep approach and short runway. For private aviation, the approval is less about a new route and more about access: the longest-range business jets are now pushing into airports once seen as too restrictive for them.