Gulfstream Aerospace's G650/650ER has demonstrated its ability to perform steep approaches at airports such as London City, and operational approval is expected by year-end, the company announced on Monday at NBAA 2018. The anticipated approval will require a software upgrade for the avionics and flight controls, and release of the updated software “is imminent,” said Colin Miller, Gulfstream’s v-p of flight operations.

Aircraft that operate at London City require steep-approach certification and operational validation because of the airport’s short runway (4,327 feet) and Central London’s stringent noise abatement rules that require the capability to perform a 5.5-degree approach, in addition to short-field capability. A G650 flew several takeoffs and landings last month as part of the London City Airport Operations and Control Department’s evaluation of its steep-approach capabilities. 

The Savannah, Georgia airframer (Booth 256, Static SD41) also announced in Orlando its G650 family has now achieved more than 75 city-pair records. Recent adds to the list include Keflavik, Iceland, to Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, in 11 hours and 46 minutes at an average speed of Mach 0.90; Beijing to Paris in nine hours and 18 minutes at an average speed of Mach 0.90; and Tel Aviv, Israel, to Kiev, Ukraine, in two and 41 minutes at an average speed of Mach 0.90.