G200 vs G280: how the two fleets are really flown
On three of the four chapters' lead measures, the gap inside each fleet is bigger than the gap between the G200 and the G280. The clearest difference is short runways: the middle G200 at 54%, the middle G280 at 13%, with no overlap between their middle halves.
Gulfstream G200 fleet statistics →Gulfstream G280 fleet statistics →
Fatigue
On hours per landing, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle G280 at 1.6 : 1, the middle G200 at 1.5 : 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: 129 G200s and 243 G280s.| Measure | G200 median | Middle half | G280 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing | 1.5 : 1 | 1.3–1.8 : 1 | 1.6 : 1 | 1.3–1.8 : 1 |
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 36% | 28–44% | 34% | 24–44% |
| Leg length Median leg | 462 nm | 349–594 nm | 489 nm | 352–629 nm |
Corrosion
On salt air, the two fleets' medians match, at 1%.
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: 100 G200s and 171 G280s.| Measure | G200 median | Middle half | G280 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt air Nights within 2 km of the coast | 1% | 0–3% | 1% | 0–3% |
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 9% | 4–41% | 8% | 3–27% |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 6.7 h | 5.1–8.1 h | 6.8 h | 5.3–8.2 h |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 7% | 3–17% | 8% | 3–17% |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 9.2 g/m³ | 7.3–11.3 g/m³ | 9.2 g/m³ | 7.7–10.9 g/m³ |
Engines and brakes
On short runways, the fleets part: the middle G200 at 54%, the middle G280 at 13%, and their middle halves don't overlap.
What departures ask of engines, brakes and tires: heat and height, and runway length.
Short runways
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Departures we could assess: 127 G200s and 243 G280s.| Measure | G200 median | Middle half | G280 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short runways Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance | 54% | 35–73% | 13% | 8–21% |
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 5% | 2–13% | 3% | 1–8% |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,662 ft | 1,262–2,072 ft | 1,440 ft | 1,111–1,846 ft |
Utilization
On flights a month, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle G280 at 9, the middle G200 at 8.
How steadily each fleet is used: flights, flying days and estimated hours.
Flights a month
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
G200s with at least 40% of their flights tracked (95) and G280s with at least 40% of their flights tracked (175). Each type uses the tracking rule its own fleet page uses.| Measure | G200 median | Middle half | G280 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 8.3 | 6.0–11.0 | 8.8 | 5.9–13.3 |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 5.5 | 4.4–7.6 | 6.0 | 4.3–7.7 |
| Estimated hours a year From time in the air | ≈151 h | 98–211 h | ≈171 h | 113–248 h |
Choosing between a G200 and a G280?
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
38% of G200 legs and 36% of G280 legs were under 300 nm, a gap of 2 percentage points; both flew 22% over 900 nm.
| Leg length (nm) | G200 | G280 |
|---|---|---|
| <150 | 18% | 16% |
| 150–300 | 20% | 20% |
| 300–450 | 13% | 12% |
| 450–600 | 11% | 12% |
| 600–900 | 16% | 17% |
| 900–1,200 | 11% | 9% |
| 1,200–1,800 | 8% | 9% |
| 1,800+ | 3% | 4% |
Share of legs by length in nautical miles, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026: 10,565 legs by 129 G200s and 23,659 legs by 243 G280s, every leg with a known distance. The G200's trips bunch at 150–300 nm, the G280's at 150–300 nm.
G200 vs G280: 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. We don’t have a manufacturer source for the G200 yet, so its manufacturer rows show a dash.
| Measure | G200 | G280 |
|---|---|---|
| Range (manufacturer) | —Not in our sources yet | 3,600 nmManufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 19 Jan 2026) |
| High-speed cruise (manufacturer) | —Not in our sources yet | Mach 0.84Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 19 Jan 2026) |
| Takeoff distance (manufacturer) | —Not in our sources yet | 4,750 ftManufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 19 Jan 2026) |
| Cabin length (manufacturer) | —Not in our sources yet | 25 ft 10 inManufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 19 Jan 2026) |
| Maximum takeoff weight (certified) | 35,450–35,650 lbEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.013 Issue 05, p.22 | 39,600 lbEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.348 Issue 6, p.10 |
| Fuel capacity (certified) | 15,010 lbEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.013 Issue 05, p.21 | 14,620 lbEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.348 Issue 6, p.9 |
| Maximum operating altitude (certified) | 45,000 ftEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.013 Issue 05, p.20 | 45,000 ftEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.348 Issue 6, p.9 |
| Passenger seats (certified) | Up to 19EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.013 Issue 05, p.23 | Up to 19EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.348 Issue 6, p.10 |
G200 vs G280: questions
Which is flown more, the G200 or the G280?
The G280, by about 20 estimated hours a year: the middle G280 flew ≈171 h a year, the middle G200 ≈151 h. That is a fleet median: the middle half of G280s logged 113–248 h and of G200s 98–211 h, so one aircraft can sit far from its type. In flights, the medians are 8 a month for the G200 and 9 for the G280.
Which lands more often for its hours, the G200 or the G280?
The G200: its middle aircraft flies 1.5 hours per landing, against 1.6 for the G280, 0.1 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 36% of the middle G200's legs and 34% of the middle G280's.
Which flies longer trips, the G200 or the G280?
The G280, by 27 nm on the median leg: 489 nm for the middle aircraft, against 462 nm for the G200. 38% of G200 legs and 36% of G280 legs were under 300 nm, a gap of 2 percentage points; both flew 22% over 900 nm.
Which spends more nights by the sea, the G200 or the G280?
About the same: the middle aircraft of both types spends 1% of its nights within 2 km of the coast. Salt air is one of the corrosion inputs a TailCheck report grades for one aircraft against its own type.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Gulfstream G200 vs Gulfstream G280.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/compare/gulfstream-g200-vs-gulfstream-g280
Embed a chart
<iframe src="https://theaircraftledger.com/embed/compare/gulfstream-g200-vs-gulfstream-g280/fatigue" title="Fatigue: Hours per landing" width="100%" height="360" style="border:0;max-width:960px" loading="lazy"></iframe>Method: G200s and G280s 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