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The Government of Canada has inked a deal with Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier, which will see six of the Global 6500 purchased at an approximate cost price of CA $550 ($400) million. These airplanes are planned to support the Royal Canadian Air Force to partake in worldwide utility flights, support medical evacuations, and disaster or humanitarian relief (alongside other missions).
To celebrate the news, representatives from both Bombardier and the Canadian federal government met at the Global Aircraft Assembly Centre, which is based in Toronto, Canada. Delivery is poised to begin from summer 2027, and continues a long history of the Canadian government reinvesting in Canadian-built airplanes, since the RCAF has operated the Bombardier Challenger since 1983.
Six Global 6500s
The proud announcement made by Bombardier will see six shiny new airplanes take off by mid-2027, and supports the world-class Canadian aircraft that is built with versatility in mind. Today, Bombardier employs more than 12,000 staff across its two plants in both Toronto and Montreal.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier, Éric Martel, celebrated the news and reaffirmed the aircraft’s reliability and versatility. He explained that:
“The Global 6500 aircraft is a world-class, made-in-Canada product with the versatility to perform multiple missions, making it the go-to solution for governments around the world.”
Replacing The CC-144 Challenger
The deal will see the Global 6500 replace the existing fleet of CC-144 Challengers, which have been a workhorse for the RCAF and Canadian Government for approximately 25 years. The new jets will be proudly built and maintained in Canada, which is set create hundreds of new jobs. As reported by the CBC, while the list price of the aircraft sits at around CA $550 ($400) million, the overall contract value will sit at close to CA $753 ($547) million.
This includes overall production, training for the aircrew who will operate the new aircraft, maintenance training, recruitment, and additional required military modifications. Overall, for Canada, the move is a win-win, both for the improvement it will make to the RCAF fleet, supporting the domestic aerospace industry, and strengthening the local supply chain. It is expected that the deal will indirectly support up to 60 companies across the country.
As explained on the Bombardier website, the Global 6500 is one of the most technologically advanced aircraft out there. It features award-winning Nuage seating, conference suite (if desired), en-suites, separate crew rest area, and $k entertainment. The airplane also offers Iridium Certus seamless connectivity, and the Soleil lighting system that supports the combat of jetlag.
The Global 6500 has also been boasted by the manufacturer as the ‘Pilots Paradise.’ It offers a combined vision system and cutting-edge features that attempt to offer an unmatched onboard experience, including the Bombardier Vision flight deck.
An In-Depth Guide To The Bombardier Global Express
The Global Express marked Bombardier’s entry into the large private jet market.
Four Options
Included in the deal are an additional four options for the Canadian Government to obtain an additional four aircraft should it be required. It is expected that these jets will not only be used to ferry important government officials to destinations domestically and around the globe, but also used on deployment for evacuations, disaster relief, security, and other humanitarian missions.
The jets are some of the first major purchases made under Mark Carney’s Liberal government’s Defense Investment Agency, first established in October. As part of the DIA mandate, this is expected to consolidate the procurement process and abolish the need for duplicate approvals, limiting red tape.
It is estimated by the CBC that the new aircraft will save the Canadian taxpayer approximately CA $1.5 ($1.09) million per year in maintenance and operating costs, and see the widespread criticism of the aging airplanes disappear. This criticism surfaced when Prime Minister Carney visited the Gaza peace summit in October, and was forced to charter a Bombardier Global Express 500, costing CA $750,000 ($544,000) due to the current Challengers not meeting the itinerary requirements.
