Gulfstream's First Fully Outfitted G400 Completes Maiden Flight From Dallas Love Field
Why It MattersCabin-systems testing at altitude, after airframe and high-altitude work, shows large-cabin certification proceeding in stages, with delivery timing resting on test-fleet completion and the regulator's sign-off rather than the original schedule.
What happened
Gulfstream announced that the first fully outfitted test aircraft in its G400 program has completed its maiden flight. The aircraft took off from Dallas Love Field (KDAL) in Texas, flew for about 2 hours and 46 minutes and reached 48,000 feet. The test article is dedicated to evaluating cabin systems at altitude and testing functionality and comfort in flight, and it flew in an 11-passenger configuration over two-and-a-half living areas.
The fully outfitted jet is the fourth and final aircraft to join the G400 test fleet, per Gulfstream president Mark Burns. In a news release, Burns said the aircraft continues to perform exceptionally well as the program advances through certification. Speaking at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, he declined to predict a certification date.
The G400 was announced alongside the G800 in 2021, when Gulfstream anticipated first deliveries in 2025. The first G400 test article flew in August 2024, and test aircraft have completed high-altitude testing in Telluride, Colorado.
Gulfstream also said one of its three experimental G400 test aircraft set a city-pair speed record between Miami and Las Vegas while traveling to NBAA-BACE, flying 4 hours 8 minutes at an average of Mach 0.89 on a blend of sustainable aviation fuel. A G400 and a cabin mock-up are on display at the show alongside the G700, G800, G500, G600 and a new G300 mock-up. Burns said a second airplane would fly very soon, and a third G300 test article is in production at licensee Israel Aerospace Industries.
Where the G400 sits
The G400 sits between the super-midsize G280, which is slated to be replaced by the G300, and the large-cabin G500/G600, with a reported list price of around $34.5 million. It uses Pratt & Whitney PW812GA engines and the advanced high-speed wing with swept winglets introduced on the G500/G600.
Designed range is up to 4,200 nm at Mach 0.85 and 3,950 nm at Mach 0.88, with a top speed of Mach 0.90 and a ceiling of 51,000 feet. The flight deck is the Symmetry Flight Deck with active control sidesticks and 10 touchscreens, plus a Predictive Landing Performance System.
Industry impact & what to watch
A fully outfitted cabin article flying last in the test fleet reflects how large-cabin certification is sequenced. Airframe, engine and high-altitude work come first, and the interior, with its systems and passenger-comfort evaluation, follows once the aircraft is largely proven. The G400's path from a 2024 first flight to a cabin-systems test aircraft in late 2026 follows that order, and the 2021 expectation of 2025 deliveries has already passed.
For buyers and the segment around them, the practical signal is that the program has reached its last test-article milestone while a certification date remains unstated by the manufacturer. Models positioned between the G280's replacement and the G500/G600 depend on that sign-off before deliveries can begin, which is why the stated timeline carries weight.
The next concrete markers are the second airplane Burns said would fly very soon and the third G300 test article in production at Israel Aerospace Industries. A certification date from Gulfstream itself would be the point at which delivery planning for the G400 could firm up.
