The airworthiness directive limiting Gulfstream G500/600 runway crosswind operations and the resulting, and still pending, software fix is causing some customers for the type to defer deliveries, in addition to delaying G700 and G800 certifications. Jason Aiken, the senior v-p and CFO at parent company General Dynamics, told investors today that four of 13 customers set to receive a G500/600 in the second quarter deferred deliveries to the third quarter, when the software fix is expected to be approved by the FAA.
Thanks to a Covid-driven resurgence in super-midsize jet demand, Gulfstream delivered 22 aircraft (17 large-cabin jets and five G280s) in the quarter. That compares to 18 large-cabin jets and three G280s shipped in the same three-month period last year. First-half deliveries stand at 47 aircraft (38 large cabins and nine G280s), down from 49 (43 large cabin, six G280s) a year ago.
Meanwhile, Aiken said Gulfstream’s shifting of software resources to the G500/600 fix has come at the cost of finishing an FAA-mandated line-by-line software review for the G700. Previously projected to be FAA certified by year-end, the G700 will now see a six-month program delay. In turn, he said, that will cause a cascade effect on FAA certification for the follow-on G800 derivative, which is now not anticipated to be approved until late 2023.
