Q&a / Gulfstream boss Mark Burns on sustainability and private jets, and why the new long-range G700 and G800 aircraft will transform how business executives travel forever
As skies brighten after a turbulent two years in air travel, what lessons has private aviation learned and how will it make up for lost time? Gulfstream Aerospace president Mark Burns gives his long-range take.
If you could go back to before Covid-19, what decisions would you make or change, given what we now know?
As soon as news of the pandemic first appeared, we shifted our focus to protecting our employees, their families and our customers. Thanks to that vigilance, combined with our disciplined business practices and unrelenting customer focus, we really emerged from the pandemic stronger than we were before.
The pandemic hit the travel industry hard – how did Gulfstream manage?
In the second half of 2020 we saw heightened interest in business aviation and, specifically, in Gulfstream. That momentum has continued to build, and we are now experiencing record sales of our aircraft across the product line.
What can we expect to see from Gulfstream in the next couple of years?
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At Gulfstream, we are operating at an unprecedented pace. Each aircraft, from the super-midsize G280 to the G650, G650ER and our next-generation G400, G500, G600, G700 and G800, have set new standards in terms of safety, high-speed performance, environmental efficiency and unmatched cabin experience.
What do you enjoy about what you do?
Getting together with customers face to face is really what inspires me. With the recently launched G700 world tour, we are doing just that as we fly to more than 20 cities across six continents. I love seeing customers’ reaction to both the flight-deck technology and the amazing cabin flexibility and finish – you really do need to see it in person to experience everything the aircraft has to offer.
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When buying a luxury or business jet, what do people often get wrong?
I think people don’t always realise how much time they can save by investing in a business aircraft. Gulfstream aircraft are business tools – thanks to the speed and range capabilities of our aircraft, our customers benefit greatly from the time saved and security gained.
On our next-generation long-range aircraft, including the in-production G500 and G600, and flight-testing G700 and G800, customers can fly regularly at Mach 0.90 over long flights, and that can help them save more than 50 hours of flight time over the course of a year – there is nothing more valuable than time.
What do you say to criticism of business aviation on sustainability grounds?
You can safely and securely get people around the world more efficiently than by any other mode of transport. Our industry is proactively leading efforts to operate more efficiently across the board with pledged goals of carbon-neutral growth and a pathway to net-zero emissions.
At Gulfstream specifically, we have long been advancing and promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuel and have invested research and development to further those efforts.
Our focus on sustainability goes beyond alternative fuels, as well. We have designed aircraft both inside and out to perform more efficiently – our latest next-generation G500 and G600 are more than 30 per cent more fuel efficient than their predecessors.
We are seeing a significant number of customers looking to align their business jet operations with their corporate sustainability and responsibility goals, and, as a result, they want to work with an aircraft manufacturer like Gulfstream that shares that commitment.
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What are three things you never travel without?
I always have with me my phone, passport and a pre-packed essentials bag – with Gulfstream, you never know when you will need to hop around the world at a moment’s notice.
Mark Burns: CV
2015-present: President, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
2018: Awarded the Wesley L. McDonald Distinguished Statesman of
Aviation Award
2008-2015: Customer support president, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
1983-2008: CAD operator, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
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- The fleet’s new flagship Gulfstream G700 has the most spacious cabin in the industry while the Gulfstream G800 will have the longest range, saving hours of travellers’ lives