Global 5000/5500 vs Global 6000/6500: how the two fleets are really flown
On all four chapters' lead measures, the gap inside each fleet is bigger than the gap between the Global 5000/5500 and the Global 6000/6500. On flights a month, the middle half of Global 5000/5500s runs 5–17 and of Global 6000/6500s 4–10; the medians are 7 and 6.
Bombardier Global 5000/5500 fleet statistics →Bombardier Global 6000/6500 fleet statistics →
Fatigue
On hours per landing, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle Global 6000/6500 at 2.5 : 1, the middle Global 5000/5500 at 2.1 : 1.
What each landing and pressurization cycle costs the structure: landings per hour and short hops.
Hours per landing
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Every active aircraft of each type in North America: 111 Global 5000/5500s and 261 Global 6000/6500s.| Measure | Global 5000/5500 median | Middle half | Global 6000/6500 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing | 2.1 : 1 | 1.9–2.4 : 1 | 2.5 : 1 | 2.0–2.9 : 1 |
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 34% | 27–39% | 31% | 24–41% |
| Leg length Median leg | 589 nm | 498–758 nm | 658 nm | 461–876 nm |
Corrosion
On salt air, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle Global 5000/5500 at 5%, the middle Global 6000/6500 at 3%.
What the air around the fleet does overnight: salt, damp and freeze–thaw.
Salt air
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Aircraft we can place on enough nights at known fields: 98 Global 5000/5500s and 216 Global 6000/6500s.| Measure | Global 5000/5500 median | Middle half | Global 6000/6500 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt air Nights within 2 km of the coast | 5% | 1–11% | 3% | 1–10% |
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 36% | 11–51% | 27% | 10–59% |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 7.4 h | 6.3–8.5 h | 7.7 h | 6.4–8.8 h |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 8% | 5–16% | 7% | 3–14% |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 9.3 g/m³ | 8.1–10.4 g/m³ | 9.2 g/m³ | 8.2–10.4 g/m³ |
Engines and brakes
On hot, high takeoffs, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle Global 5000/5500 at 4%, the middle Global 6000/6500 at 3%.
What departures ask of engines, brakes and tires: heat and height, and runway length.
Hot, high takeoffs
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Departures we could assess: 111 Global 5000/5500s and 260 Global 6000/6500s. Short-runway departures aren't compared: we don't have a sourced takeoff distance for the Global 5000/5500 or the Global 6000/6500.| Measure | Global 5000/5500 median | Middle half | Global 6000/6500 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 4% | 2–7% | 3% | 1–6% |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,244 ft | 954–1,440 ft | 1,152 ft | 849–1,513 ft |
Utilization
On flights a month, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle Global 5000/5500 at 7, the middle Global 6000/6500 at 6.
How steadily each fleet is used: flights, flying days and estimated hours.
Flights a month
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Every active Global 5000/5500 (111) and every active Global 6000/6500 (261). Each type uses the tracking rule its own fleet page uses.| Measure | Global 5000/5500 median | Middle half | Global 6000/6500 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 7.5 | 5.3–17.3 | 6.3 | 4.4–10.0 |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 5.8 | 3.8–11.0 | 4.8 | 3.5–6.9 |
| Estimated hours a year From time in the air | ≈198 h | 127–445 h | ≈187 h | 134–282 h |
Choosing between a Global 5000/5500 and a Global 6000/6500?
Check both tails, not the types.
Enter the two tails on your shortlist. TailCheck grades each one on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization against its own type, then puts them side by side.
Trip-length mix
Both fleets flew 34% of their legs under 300 nm; 35% of Global 5000/5500 legs and 38% of Global 6000/6500 legs were over 900 nm.
| Leg length (nm) | Global 5000/5500 | Global 6000/6500 |
|---|---|---|
| <150 | 17% | 17% |
| 150–300 | 17% | 17% |
| 300–450 | 9% | 9% |
| 450–600 | 8% | 7% |
| 600–900 | 14% | 13% |
| 900–1,200 | 12% | 10% |
| 1,200–1,800 | 8% | 8% |
| 1,800+ | 15% | 20% |
Share of legs by length in nautical miles, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026: 13,871 legs by 111 Global 5000/5500s and 22,073 legs by 261 Global 6000/6500s, every leg with a known distance. The Global 5000/5500's trips bunch at <150 nm, the Global 6000/6500's at 1,800+ nm.
Global 5000/5500 vs Global 6000/6500: on paper
Certified figures come from each type certificate data sheet, the rest from the manufacturer. Each figure names its source; a range covers the variants one page tracks together; a dash means we don’t have a source for that figure yet.
| Measure | Global 5000/5500 | Global 6000/6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Range (manufacturer) | 5,900 nm (Global 5500)Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 7 Sep 2026) | 6,000–6,600 nmGlobal 6000: Manufacturer (archived spec page, 21 Jan 2021); Global 6500: Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 12 Oct 2026) |
| High-speed cruise (manufacturer) | Mach 0.88 (Global 5500)Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 7 Sep 2026) | Mach 0.88Global 6000: Manufacturer (archived spec page, 21 Jan 2021); Global 6500: Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 12 Oct 2026) |
| Takeoff distance (manufacturer) | 5,340 ft (Global 5500)Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 7 Sep 2026) | 6,145–6,476 ftGlobal 6000: Manufacturer (archived spec page, 21 Jan 2021); Global 6500: Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 12 Oct 2026) |
| Cabin length (manufacturer) | 40 ft 9 in (Global 5500)Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 7 Sep 2026) | 43 ft 3 inManufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 12 Oct 2026) |
| Maximum takeoff weight (certified) | 92,500 lbEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.009 Issue 14, p.12 | 99,500 lbUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00037 Issue 7, p.8 |
| Fuel capacity (certified) | 36,187–39,250 lbEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.009 Issue 14, p.11 | 43,390–45,050 lbEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.009 Issue 14, p.9 |
| Maximum operating altitude (certified) | 51,000 ftEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.009 Issue 14, p.17 | 51,000 ftEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.009 Issue 14, p.17 |
| Passenger seats (certified) | Up to 19EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.009 Issue 14, p.17 | Up to 19EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.009 Issue 14, p.17 |
Global 5000/5500 vs Global 6000/6500: questions
Which is flown more, the Global 5000/5500 or the Global 6000/6500?
The Global 5000/5500, by about 11 estimated hours a year: the middle Global 5000/5500 flew ≈198 h a year, the middle Global 6000/6500 ≈187 h. That is a fleet median: the middle half of Global 5000/5500s logged 127–445 h and of Global 6000/6500s 134–282 h, so one aircraft can sit far from its type. In flights, the medians are 7 a month for the Global 5000/5500 and 6 for the Global 6000/6500.
Which lands more often for its hours, the Global 5000/5500 or the Global 6000/6500?
The Global 5000/5500: its middle aircraft flies 2.1 hours per landing, against 2.5 for the Global 6000/6500, 0.4 hours fewer per landing. More landings per hour means more pressurization cycles for the same time in the air. Short hops, legs under 300 nm, make up 34% of the middle Global 5000/5500's legs and 31% of the middle Global 6000/6500's.
Which flies longer trips, the Global 5000/5500 or the Global 6000/6500?
The Global 6000/6500, by 69 nm on the median leg: 658 nm for the middle aircraft, against 589 nm for the Global 5000/5500. Both fleets flew 34% of their legs under 300 nm; 35% of Global 5000/5500 legs and 38% of Global 6000/6500 legs were over 900 nm.
Which spends more nights by the sea, the Global 5000/5500 or the Global 6000/6500?
The Global 5000/5500, by 2 percentage points: its middle aircraft spends 5% of its nights within 2 km of the coast, the middle Global 6000/6500 3%. Salt air is one of the corrosion inputs a TailCheck report grades for one aircraft against its own type.
Which has the longer range on paper, the Global 5000/5500 or the Global 6000/6500?
The manufacturers quote 5,900 nm (Global 5500) for the Global 5000/5500 and 6,000–6,600 nm for the Global 6000/6500. Those are book figures at stated conditions; how far the fleets actually fly is in the trip-length mix above.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Bombardier Global 5000/5500 vs Bombardier Global 6000/6500.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/compare/bombardier-global-5000-5500-vs-bombardier-global-6000-6500
Method: Global 5000/5500s and Global 6000/6500s with most departures in North America, ADS-B tracking. Flight measures cover 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; each figure is the median of its own fleet, with the middle half (25th–75th percentile). Estimated hours from time in the air. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Specifications from type certificate data sheets and the manufacturers, each cited. About our data