Gulfstream G500 and G550 Types Certified in Republic of Korea

Released on Thursday, April 24, 2008

SAVANNAH, Ga., April 24, 2008 � Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), recently received Type Certificate Validation for its ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550 business-jet aircraft from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in the Republic of Korea. With this certificate validation, operators of both the large-cabin, ultra-long-range G550 and G500 can register their aircraft in that country.

"The G500 and the G550 are capable of traveling between 5,800 and 6,750 nonstop nautical miles at speeds of 0.80 Mach and can reach high speed cruise at 0.85 Mach, making them ideal business jets for international travel," said Joe Lombardo, president, Gulfstream. "This certification makes those aircraft even more appealing, especially to Korean-based aircraft owners and operators who may have considered a G550 or G500 in the past."

The certificate validation results from the rising demand for Gulfstream aircraft outside the United States. Historically, Gulfstream sold the majority of its aircraft to North American-based operators. In 2007, Gulfstream sold 53 percent of its aircraft internationally, with the remaining 47 percent sold in North America. That same year, North American sales increased 30 percent over the previous year.

The Middle East, Europe, India and Asia-Pacific markets continue to show significant growth. As of Dec. 31, 2007, there were 74 Gulfstream aircraft operating in the Asia-Pacific region, up from 37 two years earlier.

The in-service G550/G500 fleet numbered some 172 aircraft as of March 31, 2008, and has a 12-month dispatch reliability rate of 99.84 percent. In addition, the G550 has established close to 40 city-pair speed records. The most notable is a 14.5-hour, 7,301-nautical-mile nonstop flight from Seoul, South Korea, to Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 3, 2003. That flight took place less than two weeks after the aircraft entered service.