GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC
Certification slips by 10 months as Bryan Moss takes over as company president
Gulfstream has delayed certification of the G150 by 10 months, to January 2006, citing the "depressed sales market for business jets". The mid-sized aircraft was launched last year with 50 orders and 50 options, valued at $1.5 billion, from fractional-ownership operator NetJets. Neither company will comment on the status of the order.
In a separate move, Gulfstream has appointed Bryan Moss as president after the abrupt retirement of Bill Boisture. Moss joined the company from rival Bombardier in 1995 as vice chairman. Boisture led Gulfstream through its acquisition by General Dynamics in 1999 and purchase of Galaxy Aerospace in 2001.
The G150 delay is the latest move by Gulfstream to adapt to the depressed business aircraft market. The manufacturer has reduced production to 77 aircraft this year, down from 85 planned at the beginning of the year, and announced plans to cut up to 1,000 jobs by year-end. Sales of the Israel Aircraft Industries-manufactured mid-size G100 (formerly Astra SPX) and super mid-size G200 (formerly Galaxy) have fallen short of expectations.
The G150 is a development of the G100 with a wider fuselage. Gulfstream says engineering work is continuing "on track", with the preliminary design review completed and the critical design review now scheduled for August. First flight has been delayed to May 2005 and Israeli certification to January 2006. Entry into service has been pushed back almost a year, to August 2006. The price of the G150 has been increased from the $11.5 million announced at its launch at last October's National Business Aviation Association show, to $13.5 million.
Gulfstream says the roll-out of the rest of its expanded product line is continuing as planned, including the introduction this year of the large-cabin G300 and G400 (based on the GIV-SP) and long-range G500 and G550 (based on the GV-SP). General Dynamics, meanwhile, has accepted Boisture's unexpected retirement "with regret".
Source: Flight International
