New business jet for Swiss Air Force

On 30 August 2023, the Swiss government reported that a new ultra long-range business jet will be procured for use with the Lufttransportdienst des Bundes (LTDB, Federal Air Transport Service) of the Schweizer Luftwaffe (Swiss Air Force).

The new aircraft, a Bombardier Global 7500, will replace the Cessna 560XL which is already operated since 2005. According to the information, the Global 7500 gives the federal government a state-of-the-art aircraft in terms of safety, efficiency and performance and increases transport capacity, for example for evacuations.

The LTDB operates their aircraft for the benefit of the state government, departments, federal offices and the army. After the sale of the Pilatus PC-24 (T-786), which was only used for a period of less than three years, the service still has two aircraft that are used for the departments and other beneficiaries. These are the Ce560XL (T-784) and the Falcon 900EX-EASy (T-785).

The budget for the Global 7500 is USD 109 million and includes a military radio system, a self-protection system, ground material and spare parts. The Global is expected to replace the then ageing Cessna Citation Excel 560XL from 2025. The replacement of the Dassault Falcon 900EX will be reconsidered at a later date due to the current financial situation of the federal budget.

The unit's other two jet aircraft, CL-604s T-751 and T-752, have a different role.

Image impression: Lufttransportdienst des Bundes