Bombardier Global Express: how 30 jets are really flown
The busiest 5% made more than 13 flights a month and the quietest 5% fewer than 4: over four times as many, on the same type.
The hardest-worked 5% log 13 flights a month or more; the easiest-used, 4 or less. The middle aircraft sits at 6.
The harder end, one aircraft in twenty, is at 1,724 ft or more; the easier end at 389 ft or less.
One in twenty flies short hops on 53% or more of its legs; at the easier end it is 17% or less.
Fatigue
What each landing and pressurization cycle costs the structure: landings per hour and short hops.
The middle Global Express flies 2.0 hours for every landing. One in twenty lands every 1.4 hours or sooner, the most cycles for its time.
Middle half 1.8–2.6 : 1Harder end: 5% at 1.4 : 1 or lessEasier end: 5% at 3.1 : 1 or more
Middle half 27–40%Harder end: 5% at 53% or moreEasier end: 5% at 17% or less
Middle half 489–807 nmLowest 5%: 234 nm or lessHighest 5%: 1,080 nm or more
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Spread of trip lengths
All 30 Global ExpressesThe data behind it
Every measure for the 30 North American Global Expresses, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing | 2.0 : 1 | 1.8–2.6 : 1 |
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 34% | 27–40% |
| Leg length Median leg | 566 nm | 489–807 nm |
Corrosion
What the air around it does overnight: salt, damp and freeze–thaw.
Too few of these aircraft spend their nights where we can place them to compare salt air, damp hours or freeze–thaw: only 21 of the 30 North American Global Expresses were placed on enough nights in the twelve months, and a comparison needs at least 30.
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
The data behind it
| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|
Engines and brakes
What departures ask of engines, brakes and tires: heat and height, and runway length.
The middle Global Express leaves from a short runway on 50% of its departures. One in twenty does on 73% or more.
Middle half 36–59%Harder end: 5% at 73% or moreEasier end: 5% at 24% or less
Middle half 1–8%Harder end: 5% at 15% or moreEasier end: 5% at -0%
Middle half 885–1,390 ftHarder end: 5% at 1,724 ft or moreEasier end: 5% at 389 ft or less
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Runway margin at departure
2,385 departuresThe data behind it
Every measure for the 30 North American Global Expresses, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Short runways Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance | 50% | 36–59% |
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 3% | 1–8% |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,157 ft | 885–1,390 ft |
Utilization
How steadily the fleet is used: flights, flying days and estimated hours.
The middle Global Express made 6 flights a month. The busiest 5% made 13 or more, the quietest 4 or fewer.
Middle half 4.9–10.2Harder end: 5% at 13.0 or moreEasier end: 5% at 3.2 or less
Middle half 3.7–7.1Harder end: 5% at 8.9 or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.5 or less
Middle half 117–259 hHarder end: 5% at ≈347 h or moreEasier end: 5% at ≈78 h or less
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Month by month
12 monthsMedian flights per aircraft that flew that month · darker bar is the busiest month, April 2026
The data behind it
Every measure for the 30 North American Global Expresses, every active aircraft (no 40% tracking floor here: on this type it would change which aircraft are compared, not just drop undercounted ones), 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 6.0 | 4.9–10.2 |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 4.7 | 3.7–7.1 |
| Estimated hours a year From time in the air | ≈173 h | 117–259 h |
Buying, selling or financing a Global Express?
See where your Global Express sits in the fleet.
Enter a tail number to place it against these 30 aircraft. TailCheck grades it on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization, with every percentile shown.
Where Global Expresses are based and fly
Teterboro is home to more Global Expresses than any other field, 5 of the 27 with a home base.
Miami-Opa Locka–Teterboro is the busiest route: 49 flights by 8 different aircraft.
Where Global Expresses are based
| Field | Share | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Teterboro | 5 | |
| Miami-Opa Locka | 2 | |
| Van Nuys | 2 | |
| Austin-Bergstrom | 1 | |
| Lawrence G. Hanscom | 1 | |
| Gallatin | 1 |
Busiest Global Express routes
| Between | Flights |
|---|---|
| Miami-Opa Locka ⇄ Teterboro | 49 flights |
| Austin-Bergstrom ⇄ Teterboro | 38 |
| Frederick ⇄ New Castle | 33 |
| Teterboro ⇄ Van Nuys | 30 |
| Gallatin ⇄ Livermore | 29 |
| Westchester ⇄ Washington Dulles | 24 |
Longest Global Express flights
| Between | Distance · time |
|---|---|
| Ben Gurion → Miami-Opa Locka | 5,723 nm · 13 h 35 min |
| Sao Paulo-Guarulhos → Norman Y. Mineta San Jose | 5,604 nm · 13 h 36 min |
| Ngurah Rai → Hickam | 5,423 nm · 13 h 14 min |
| Nice Cote d'Azur → Los Angeles | 5,280 nm · 11 h 56 min |
| Prague Vaclav Havel → Los Angeles | 5,171 nm · 11 h 22 min |
Busiest Global Expresses this year
The busiest Global Express made 18 flights a month, three times the middle aircraft.
Even the tenth on this list made 9.
Ranked by flights a month · updated monthly
| # | Tail | Base | Flights a month | Estimated hours a year | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N169QS | — | 18 | 467 h | Check this tail → |
| 2 | N211PB | Washington Dulles | 13 | 305 h | Check this tail → |
| 3 | N232HF | Van Nuys | 13 | 281 h | Check this tail → |
| 4 | N226SJ | John Wayne | 12 | 296 h | Check this tail → |
| 5 | N863CM | Frederick | 12 | 142 h | Check this tail → |
| 6 | N564DX | Pittsburgh | 11 | 268 h | Check this tail → |
| 7 | N84YU | Lakefront | 11 | 261 h | Check this tail → |
| 8 | N401VE | Austin-Bergstrom | 10 | 383 h | Check this tail → |
| 9 | N117TF | Palm Beach | 10 | 221 h | Check this tail → |
| 10 | N34681 | Lawrence G. Hanscom | 9 | 217 h | Check this tail → |
Global Express vs other aircraft of its size
Medians for each North American fleet, same window and method.
| Type | Tracked | Flights a month | Hours a year | Median leg | Hours per landing | Short hops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombardier Global Express | 30 | 6.0 | 173 h | 566 nm | 2.0 : 1 | 34% |
| Gulfstream GV/G550 | 445 | 6.3 | 168 h | 647 nm | 2.2 : 1 | 30% |
| Gulfstream G650/G650ER | 314 | 6.7 | 199 h | 654 nm | 2.5 : 1 | 30% |
| Bombardier Global 6000/6500 | 261 | 6.3 | 187 h | 658 nm | 2.5 : 1 | 31% |
| Dassault Falcon 7X | 126 | 7.3 | 173 h | 614 nm | 2.1 : 1 | 28% |
Global Express vs Global 5000/5500 →Global Express vs Global 6000/6500 →Global Express vs Global 7500 →Global Express vs Falcon 7X →Global Express vs G650 →
Global Express vs Global Express XRS: on paper
One page covers both models: the tracking data doesn’t tell them apart.
Certified figures come from the type certificate data sheet. We don’t have a manufacturer source for the Bombardier Global Express yet, so its manufacturer rows show a dash.
| Measure | Global Express | Global Express XRS | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum takeoff weight (certified) | 99,500 lb | 99,500 lb | EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.009 Issue 14, p.9 |
| Maximum ramp weight (certified) | 99,750 lb | 99,750 lb | EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.009 Issue 14, p.9 |
| Fuel capacity (certified) | 43,390–45,050 lb | 43,390–45,050 lb | EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.009 Issue 14, p.8 — 43,390 lb (basic) · 43,538 lb (with SB 700-28-029 (Modsum 700T01614)) · 45,050 lb (with SB 700-28-040 (Modsum 700T804402)) |
| Passengers | Up to 19 certified | Up to 19 certified | EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.009 Issue 14, p.17 |
| Fuel capacity, US gallons (approx.) | ≈ 6,480–6,720 US gal | ≈ 6,480–6,720 US gal | From the certified pounds at 6.7 lb per US gallon of Jet A; actual density varies with temperature |
| Range (manufacturer) | — | — | No manufacturer source yet |
| Takeoff distance (manufacturer) | — | — | No manufacturer source yet |
| High-speed cruise (manufacturer) | — | — | No manufacturer source yet |
| Length (manufacturer) | — | — | No manufacturer source yet |
| Wingspan (manufacturer) | — | — | No manufacturer source yet |
| Height (manufacturer) | — | — | No manufacturer source yet |
Chartering a Global Express
13 of the 30 North American Global Expresses we track are on our charter list (43%).
Where charter Global Expresses are based
| Field | Share | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Teterboro | 4 | |
| Austin-Bergstrom | 1 | |
| Lawrence G. Hanscom | 1 | |
| Gallatin | 1 | |
| Lakefront | 1 | |
| Miami-Opa Locka | 1 |
Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft; aircraft flown by a fractional program (NetJets, Flexjet and the like) are counted as fractional, not charter. No charter rates: prices depend on the operator and the trip. Check a specific aircraft’s record with its tail number before you book.
Global Express questions
How many hours a year does a Global Express fly?
The median North American Global Express flies about 173 estimated hours a year; the middle half sits between 117 and 259. About 1 in 20 flies more than 347.
How often does a Global Express fly?
6 flights a month on 5 flying days at the median. About 1 in 20 makes more than 13 flights a month.
How long is a typical Global Express flight?
The median leg is 566 nm. About 1 in 20 aircraft average more than 1,080 nm a leg.
How often do Global Express aircraft use short runways?
At the median, 50% of departures are from fields whose longest runway is under 1.25 times the type’s takeoff distance. About 1 in 20 keep it to 24% or less.
Is a high-hours Global Express a bad buy?
Not by itself. High hours on long legs are gentler on the structure than the same hours on short hops. Look at hours per landing and short-hop share alongside hours.
Can a Global Express fly across the Atlantic?
Yes. In our tracking window, 26 of the 30 North American aircraft flew 133 nonstop crossings between the Americas and Europe or Africa. The busiest were Teterboro–Nice Cote d'Azur (12 flights), Teterboro–Paris-Le Bourget (8 flights), Luton–Teterboro (6 flights).
Where are most Global Express aircraft based?
In North America, Teterboro is home to the most, followed by Miami-Opa Locka and Van Nuys. A base is the field an aircraft touches on most of its flying days, month after month.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Bombardier Global Express fleet statistics.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/aircraft/bombardier/global-express
Embed a chart
<iframe src="https://theaircraftledger.com/embed/fleet/bombardier-global-express/fatigue" title="Fatigue" width="100%" height="1180" style="border:0;max-width:960px" loading="lazy"></iframe>Method: Bombardier Global Express aircraft with most departures in North America and at least 20 tracked flights in the latest twelve full months. Flight measures, bases, routes and rankings use ADS-B tracking 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; corrosion and engines-and-brakes exposure use the same twelve months, or an aircraft’s record since 1 Jan 2025 when it had too few nights or departures in them. Estimated hours from time in the air. Tracking misses some flights, so counts and hours are minimums. ADS-B coverage grew over the window, so we don’t compare one year with the last. Tracking can’t tell one variant from another; the variant split, the busiest table’s variants and the age table use the FAA registry, so they cover US-registered aircraft only. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Short-runway figures use the manufacturer’s published takeoff distance where our sources hold one for every variant (the longest, where tracking can’t tell variants apart), and a reference figure otherwise. Corrosion measures cover the aircraft we can place on enough nights, some over the longer window when the twelve months had too few. Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft; aircraft flown by a fractional program (NetJets, Flexjet and the like) are counted as fractional, not charter. About our data