VistaJet Offers Global Connectivity With Bombardier Global 7500 Jet

Few things in life truly deserve the “unprecedented” label, but the Bombardier Global 7500 is one of them. The largest and longest-range jet on the planet, the Global 7500 offers business travelers a level of worldwide connectivity that didn’t exist before the plane started flying in 2018. Thomas Flohr, Founder & Chairman of VistaJet and its group company Vista, invested early in the ultra-long-range Global 7500. VistaJet clients around the world now reap the benefits.

Flohr says the jet further enhances VistaJet’s ability to transport business travelers as efficiently as possible to wherever they need to go. The Global 7500 can fly 17 hours nonstop, or about 7,700 nautical miles. It can seat 14 people and, if necessary, sleep eight. It even has a permanent bedroom and a dining area that caters up to six on one table — whether for family gathering or business meetings. There’s nothing else quite like it.

VistaJet received the 100th Bombardier in 2022 at a ceremony held at the aircraft manufacturer’s home city of Montreal. At the time, it was the 10th Global 7500 in the Vista Members’ fleet. Now, Vista has 18. Thomas Flohr praised the jet's thoughtful design that focuses on clients' needs. 

Flohr told Forbes, “Since the introduction of the Global 7500, we’ve been seeing significant growth in Asia.”

Looks like Thomas Flohr made a great business decision with the Bombardier. Business Insider referred to the jet as the “Ferrari of the skies.” Aviation Week compared the Global 7500 to the famed superyachts built in the Netherlands, writing: “This flying Feadship is all about air supremacy, being the largest, heaviest and roomiest purpose-built business jet yet to enter production.” (Feadship is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of luxury superyachts.)

Why Thomas Flohr’s VistaJet Wanted the Global 7500

For Thomas Flohr’s VistaJet, the Global 7500 fit perfectly into an ongoing plan to expand business travel services. Founded by Flohr in 2004, VistaJet offers business travelers 24/7 access to private jets without the cost of aircraft ownership and maintenance. Clients have different membership tiers they can sign up for based on their expected use of VistaJet’s iconic silver and red fleet.

VistaJet bills itself as the “first and only global aviation company.” Its passengers have flown to over 1,900 airports in 96% of the world's countries. Thomas Flohr says the Global 7500 opens up a new world of travel for VistaJet clients, no matter where they travel.

“It’s a game changer of the industry,” Flohr said in an interview with CNBC conducted onboard a Global 7500. “We always stay very close to our clients and we listen very carefully to what our clients are saying.”

He noted the Bombardier Global 7500 can shave “three to four hours” off a flight between Asia and North America. Other private jets that make a transpacific flight must make a stop, often in Anchorage, Alaska. The Global 7500 can do it nonstop. 

Thomas Flohr said in the CNBC interview that Vista owns about 10% of the entire Global 7500 aircraft in the world. He added he originally ordered the planes in 2012 because he knew it could improve what VistaJet offers clients.

“We want to connect the world with this aircraft,” Thomas Flohr told CNBC. “It’s important in our business to have a network effect. You have to have these planes scattered around the world, to always be closest to your next client, hence the size of the fleet.”

Global 7500 Milestones

The level of performance and amenities offered by the Global 7500 is unmatched in private aviation. It’s known for its impressive range, spacious and luxurious cabin, advanced avionics, and high-speed capabilities.

The aircraft offers a spacious and well-appointed cabin with a range of configurations for seating and amenities. The plane seats 14 people with four separate living spaces available. It features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, an entertainment system with a DVD and Blu-ray player, and a satellite phone system. 

It also features a full galley kitchen with oven and microwave. For longer flights, the cabin can be configured to sleep up to eight. There are two lavatories. VistaJet also offers two flight attendants for each flight.

Since it first went into service in December 2018, the Global 7500 has had a fleet dispatch reliability of more than 99.8%, according to Bombardier. The aircraft manufacturer also says the jet has set records on a number of routes. Those include a flight of 8,225 nautical miles in October 2019 from Sydney to Detroit. Corporate Jet Investor wrote that the flight was “the longest city-pair in business aviation history flown by a purpose-built aircraft.” The flight broke the previous distance record set by the Global 7500 on a flight from Singapore to Tucson, Arizona.

Thomas Flohr on the Global 7500 and the Future of VistaJet

Thomas Flohr’s decision to invest in the Global 7500 involved the largest jet order ever for Bombardier, a $7.8 billion deal back in 2012 to establish a global fleet over the following 10 years, according to Forbes. The Swiss businessman said at the time that the jet plane order was “the most significant milestone for VistaJet and is a testimony to our successful strategy that focuses on global coverage. Our customers need to fly point to point across the globe, and in many instances at short notice.

“Whether it’s a direct flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai, from London to Luanda, or from Kinshasa to Ulan Bator, we are seamlessly connecting our customers to every corner of the world in unrivaled levels of style and safety,” he told Forbes.

Thomas Flohr also has decided to expand the availability of the Global 7500 in the United States. Vista issued a statement in early 2024 that it now has Global 7500 jets dedicated to the United States market, under Vista America. Vista made the move after seeing the number of Global 7500 flight hours increase 76% in the U.S. in 2023.

Leona Qi, President U.S. of Vista, said in the statement that the strategic move would help the company continue to offer consistent, quality service to clients. 

“We excel in catering to both domestic and long-range travel needs,” she said. “And now, with dedicated Global 7500s in the U.S., we are uniquely positioned to fulfill increasing demand for one of the most sought-after aircraft in the market.”

A recent legal development saw Thomas Flohr addressing a concern in the London High Court about a competitor and a financier. He suggests there was an inappropriate dissemination of sensitive information. This legal affair, while unique, illustrates the intricate and competitive dynamics that leaders in the private aviation sector often navigate.