Bombardier competes at the top of business aviation on two fronts: the Global series for intercontinental range, and the Challenger series for durable, predictable aircraft with well-understood economics. This guide covers the current families, which aircraft suit which missions, what drives price, and how a Bombardier acquisition is actually run. Pricing throughout is indicative and should be confirmed against current market data.
Why Bombardier holds its position
Bombardier aircraft trade actively for reasons that have little to do with brand. The Global series delivers genuine intercontinental capability with cabin space that works over long sectors. The Challenger series has a large installed base (Bombardier counted more than 650 Challenger 300-series deliveries by the end of 2017 alone), which means deep support and well-mapped maintenance costs. For buyers, liquidity is a real financial factor: an aircraft you can sell in a reasonable timeframe is worth more than one you cannot.
The Bombardier families
Global series
Bombardier’s ultra long range line, spanning the Global 5500 and 6500 through to the 7500 and 8000. These aircraft are built for nonstop intercontinental sectors with a full cabin, with multiple living zones and, on the larger variants, a dedicated crew rest area.
Challenger series
The Challenger 350 and 3500 occupy the super midsize category, while the Challenger 650 sits in the large-cabin segment alongside the widely traded 604 and 605. The Challenger line’s reputation rests on a wide cabin, robust systems, and operating costs that hold few surprises.
Learjet
Worth being clear about: Bombardier ended Learjet production, with the final aircraft delivered in 2022. Bombardier continues to support the fleet, and Learjets remain capable light jets that trade at attractive numbers. But out-of-production status affects resale liquidity and long-term parts availability, and any buyer considering one should weigh that deliberately rather than treat it as an ordinary pre-owned purchase.
Which Bombardier suits which mission
Global 7500
Roughly 7,700 nautical miles with four distinct cabin zones. Suited to requirements that are genuinely nonstop over very long sectors with a full passenger load. Bombardier announced in 2022 that the Global 8000 would replace it, and the 7500 no longer appears in Bombardier’s current aircraft line-up.
Global 8000
Bombardier’s flagship, in service since December 2025. Bombardier launched it at a list price of about $78 million in 2022, $3 million above the Global 7500, and options add to that. It has 8,000 nautical miles of range and a top speed of Mach 0.95, which Bombardier describes as the fastest of any civil aircraft since Concorde. Justified where a technical stop is genuinely unacceptable rather than merely inconvenient. Note the upgrade path: existing Global 7500 owners can move to Global 8000 performance through a Bombardier service bulletin that Bombardier estimated at about $3 million and roughly two weeks of downtime. That materially changes the case for buying a pre-owned 7500 rather than a new 8000, and it is worth modelling both before deciding.
Global 5500 and 6500
Frequently the more sensible buy. Both deliver long-range capability with lower acquisition and operating cost than the 7500, and for buyers whose longest regular sector is transatlantic rather than transpacific, the extra capability above them goes unused on nearly every trip.
Challenger 650
A large cabin with proven systems and predictable economics. Suited to regional and transcontinental flying with larger parties where heavy jet cabin space matters more than intercontinental range.
Challenger 3500
The current super midsize offering, developed from the well-established 350. Efficient, widely supported, and a strong fit for business flying that regularly crosses a continent but rarely an ocean.
Challenger 604 and 605
Where a great deal of the value sits on the pre-owned market. Both are mature, thoroughly understood aircraft with deep support and large operator bases, and they put a buyer into a genuine large-cabin aircraft for a fraction of new-build cost. We are currently representing a Challenger 601, and recently completed a transaction on a Challenger 604.
What drives price
Model and year are the starting point, not the answer. The factors that actually move a Bombardier valuation are:
- Engine and APU programme enrolment, and hours remaining to the next event
- Maintenance status and proximity to the next major inspection
- Total time and cycles against the type’s inspection intervals
- Damage history and the quality of any repair documentation
- Avionics standard and compliance with current airspace mandates
- Interior condition and how recently the cabin was refurbished
- Registration and import history, which affects both value and transaction complexity
- Current supply of that variant, which can shift materially within a year
Acquisition price is the smaller half of the decision. Crew, hangarage, insurance, engine programme, scheduled maintenance, and management all continue regardless of whether the aircraft flies, and our aircraft category comparison shows Certified Jets’ hourly charter estimate by category, a useful benchmark against the cost of owning. Financing structure changes the annual cash picture significantly and is worth modelling before committing to a variant.
New or pre-owned
New Bombardier aircraft bring warranty, current avionics, and a specification of your choosing, against a higher price and a delivery position that may sit years out. Pre-owned aircraft deliver now, cost materially less, and have absorbed the steepest depreciation, at the cost of far greater variability between individual airframes.
On Bombardier types specifically, engine programme enrolment and maintenance status carry enormous weight in valuation. A cheaper Challenger with unenrolled engines and a due inspection is regularly the more expensive aircraft over a five-year hold. Our pre-owned buying guide covers the inspection process in detail.
Where Bombardier aircraft are actually found
Public listing platforms and dealer inventories show the visible market, which is useful for gauging asking prices. Asking prices are not transaction prices.
Some transactions never appear publicly: owners open to a sale at the right number, aircraft coming off management agreements, corporate and estate disposals, and fleet restructuring. Access depends entirely on the relationships your representative holds. What we are currently representing sits on our inventory page, and some of it is off market. The same page lists our active client mandates, including buyers searching for Challenger 604/605 and Global 5000 aircraft. For leases, see our aircraft leasing service.
The acquisition process
A Bombardier acquisition runs the same path as any large-cabin transaction: define the mission, shortlist variants, value against genuine comparable transactions, agree a letter of intent with inspection terms, place a refundable deposit into independent escrow, review technical records, complete a properly scoped pre-purchase inspection, rectify findings, close through escrow, and take delivery in the agreed condition and location.
Cross-border transactions add export and import certificates of airworthiness, deregistration and reregistration, and tax and customs treatment that varies significantly by jurisdiction. These should be confirmed with an aviation attorney and a tax adviser in the relevant jurisdictions before signing, not afterwards. The most common and most expensive mistakes are compressing the records review, accepting a narrow inspection scope to save time, and leaving the definition of an airworthiness discrepancy vague in the purchase agreement.
Where a broker earns their fee
Sourcing aircraft you would not otherwise see, reading records honestly, valuing against real transactions, scoping the inspection properly, and running the closing without losing time or deposits. Certified Jets has completed more than sixty aircraft transactions since 2019, with advisors in every region we serve. Our acquisition representation covers the process from mission profiling through delivery.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Bombardier jet cost?
It spans a very wide range. Pre-owned Challengers are available well below the cost of a new super midsize aircraft, while a new Global 8000, launched at a list price of about $78 million in 2022, sits at the top of the business jet market. Model, age, maintenance status, and engine programme enrolment move the number far more than year alone.
What is the best Bombardier for long-range travel?
The Global 8000 (8,000 nautical miles) and Global 7500 (7,700) are Bombardier’s longest-range aircraft. For comparison, Gulfstream quotes 8,200 nautical miles for its G800 on the same basis: eight passengers, four crew, NBAA IFR reserves and a Mach 0.85 cruise. For many buyers the Global 5500 or 6500 is the better commercial decision, delivering the range actually required at lower acquisition and operating cost.
Where can buyers find Bombardier jets for sale?
Through public marketplaces, dealer inventories, and private broker networks. Some aircraft are offered off market and never reach a public listing, which is why buyers working only from open listings may not see the full available supply.
Is it better to buy new or pre-owned?
Pre-owned offers faster availability and lower cost with greater variability between airframes. New offers warranty and current technology at a premium and a wait. Most buyers outside the flagship segment are better served by a well-inspected pre-owned aircraft. Our guide on choosing the right private jet works through the decision properly.
Are Learjets still worth buying?
They can be, at the right price. Production has ended and Bombardier continues to support the fleet, but out-of-production status affects resale liquidity and long-term parts availability. Treat it as a deliberate decision with an exit plan rather than a straightforward pre-owned purchase.
How does a Bombardier compare to a Gulfstream?
Both build excellent aircraft and the honest answer depends on the specific mission and the specific airframes available at the time. Our Gulfstream buying guide covers that range, and a sound comparison is made between two actual aircraft rather than two manufacturers.
Looking at a Bombardier?
Tell us your routes, passenger numbers, and realistic annual hours, and we will tell you which variant fits. Frequently that means recommending a Global 5500 over a 7500, or a Challenger 605 over a new aircraft, because the capability you are paying for is not capability you will use. If your flying does not justify ownership at all, we will say that too.
Some of what we represent is offered off market, so if you do not see what you are looking for, ask. An advisor who works your region will respond directly, usually within minutes. Speak to an advisor.
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