Learjet 85

The Learjet 85 was Bombardier Aerospace's most ambitious Learjet development - the first all-composite business jet to seek type certification under FAR Part 25, and what would have been the largest, fastest and most capable Learjet ever built. The programme was launched on 30 October 2007 at the NBAA convention; a full-scale mockup was unveiled at NBAA Orlando in October 2008; and the first prototype made its first flight on 9 April 2014, reaching 30,000 ft and 250 kt in a 2 hour 15 minute sector. Two aircraft were built and the programme accumulated just over 70 hours of flight test time before Bombardier placed the programme on indefinite pause on 15 January 2015 and formally cancelled it on 29 October 2015. Flight Global confirmed Bombardier recorded a $1.2 billion write-down on cancellation, bringing the total programme loss to $2.6 billion. Approximately 60 to 64 Learjet 85 orders were received - all were cancelled or unfulfilled. No Learjet 85 was ever delivered to a customer. The Learjet brand itself was closed by Bombardier in 2021, with the final Learjet 75 delivered on 28 March 2022.

The Learjet 85 was designed to occupy the gap between midsize and super-midsize segments with a 7.54 m stand-up cabin, two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW3078 turbofan engines, a design cruise speed of Mach 0.82 and a 3,000 nm transcontinental range target. The first all-composite Bombardier business jet, it used wing technology derived from the Bombardier CSeries airliner programme and was designed using CATIA and HyperSizer software. None of these performance targets were ever verified against FAR Part 25 certification standards. The Learjet 85 is therefore a historically significant cancelled programme - the last Learjet design ever launched. Charter of a Learjet 85 is not available. For comparable super-midsize alternatives see our private jet price guide or browse our complete fleet.

Learjet 85 programme history

• 2007-2008: Launch and mockup - the most ambitious Learjet ever conceived, designed around composite technology. Bombardier launched the Learjet 85 on 30 October 2007 as a departure from all previous Learjet models: the first Bombardier business jet with a composite structure, the first Learjet designed for FAR Part 25 certification (the commercial transport standard rather than the lighter FAR Part 23 used by earlier Learjets), and the first to use wing technology shared with a commercial airliner (the Bombardier CSeries). Simple Flying confirmed the wing technology and the CATIA/HyperSizer design tool chain were both innovations for Bombardier in the business jet category. A full-scale mockup was unveiled at NBAA Orlando in October 2008 alongside approximately 60 orders at $17.2 million each (2008 dollars). Flexjet was confirmed as the launch customer. The programme was supposed to deliver its first aircraft in 2012;
• 2009-2014: Repeated delays; first flight April 9, 2014 - five years late. The Learjet 85 was scheduled for first delivery in 2012, then pushed to 2013, then 2014. The composite manufacturing processes - new to Bombardier for business jet production - proved more challenging and expensive than projected. Avionics Today quoted aviation consultant Rolland Vincent: "Lear 85 was a technical advancement for Bombardier using technologies they did not have a lot of experience and depth in... This was always going to be a challenging and new program for them, that proved to be a bigger challenge than they had anticipated." When the first prototype finally flew on 9 April 2014, it reached 30,000 ft and 250 kt over 2 hours 15 minutes. A second flight test vehicle was in development. By the time the programme was paused, approximately 70 hours of flight test time had been accumulated - a fraction of the thousands of hours required for FAR Part 25 certification;
• January 15, 2015: Programme paused; 1,000 jobs cut in Wichita and Querétaro. Bombardier announced on 15 January 2015 it would immediately halt Learjet 85 work, citing "weak demand for the Learjet 85 aircraft" and a "downward revision of Bombardier's business aircraft market forecast." The statement cited "continued weakness of the light aircraft category since the economic downturn." 1,000 jobs were cut immediately at Bombardier's Wichita, Kansas and Querétaro, Mexico facilities. A $1.4 billion special charge was recorded in Q4 2014. In reality, Forbes and Avionics Today noted the CSeries airliner programme was consuming Bombardier's cash and management focus simultaneously: "it's all hands on deck to get the CSeries done" per Rolland Vincent;
• October 29, 2015: Formal cancellation; $2.6 billion total loss; 64 cancellations in Q3 alone. Bombardier CEO Alain Bellemare announced the formal cancellation on 29 October 2015 alongside a $4.9 billion Q3 2015 loss that included a $1.2 billion Learjet 85 write-down. Simple Flying confirmed the Q3 2015 results included 73 aircraft cancellations of which 64 were Learjet 85 orders. Bellemare cited "too many initiatives" and stated resources would be concentrated on the CSeries and Global 7000/8000. Flight Global confirmed the total programme loss was $2.6 billion - approximately $43 million per flight test hour accumulated;
• 2021: Learjet brand closed; March 28, 2022: final Learjet 75 delivered. Without the Learjet 85 or any successor programme, the Learjet 70 and 75 (modest updates to the Learjet 40/45 from 2013) were the only remaining products. Bombardier announced the Learjet brand closure in February 2021. SherpaReport confirmed the final Learjet 75 was delivered to Northern Jet Management of Grand Rapids, Michigan on 28 March 2022, ending approximately 60 years of Learjet production. Bombardier committed to supporting the 2,000+ Learjets still in service and repurposed the Wichita facility as a service centre. The Learjet 85 cancellation is now recognised as the pivotal moment that ended the Learjet brand's development trajectory;
• Design specification: 7.54 m stand-up cabin; Mach 0.82 cruise; 3,000 nm range; PW3078 engines - targets never certified. The Learjet 85 design called for a 7.54 m (24.7 ft) cabin - longer than any previous Learjet and comparable to midsize jets - with 1.85 m width and 1.8 m stand-up height, accommodating up to nine passengers. Pratt and Whitney Canada PW3078 turbofan engines were specified. Target cruise was Mach 0.82 with a 3,000 nm transcontinental range. These specifications were never verified against FAR Part 25 certification standards. The programme's first test flight reached only 250 kt and 30,000 ft - a fraction of the certified performance envelope. All specifications remain design targets only.

Learjet 85 - comparable alternatives

The Learjet 85 was never certified for production and no production aircraft exist. Charter is not available. Private Jets UK can arrange comparable super-midsize jet charter for groups of 6 to 9 on similar missions.

Super-midsize alternatives from UK airports:

• London to New York - from £32,000 (8 passengers, Challenger 350 or Hawker 4000, approximately 7 hours 30 minutes);
• London to Dubai - from £30,000 (8 passengers, approximately 6 hours 30 minutes);
• London to Geneva - from £8,000 (8 passengers, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes);
• London to Moscow - from £12,000 (8 passengers, non-stop, approximately 3 hours 30 minutes);
• London to Lagos - from £28,000 (8 passengers, non-stop, approximately 6 hours);
• Edinburgh to Istanbul - from £14,000 (8 passengers, approximately 3 hours 30 minutes);
• London to Miami - from £36,000 (8 passengers, approximately 8 hours).

See our Empty Legs page for current availability on comparable aircraft.

Design specification and context

The Learjet 85 was designed to occupy the gap between midsize and super-midsize segments - a position that would have competed with the Cessna Citation XLS+, Hawker 800XP and Embraer Legacy 450 rather than the Learjet 70 or 75. The 7.54 m cabin was designed for stand-up headroom at 1.8 m height and 1.85 m width throughout - dimensions comparable to the Hawker 1000 series rather than any previous Learjet. The all-composite primary structure was designed to reduce weight and improve performance versus aluminium competitors: the same principle that made the Boeing 787 and Bombardier CSeries commercially attractive at the airliner level.

Two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW3078 turbofans at an unspecified thrust rating were specified - a new engine variant developed for the programme. The design cruise of Mach 0.82 matched the Challenger 350 and exceeded the Hawker 800XP's Mach 0.77. The 3,000 nm range target would have enabled London to New York at lighter loads - a capability no previous Learjet had approached. The price of $17.2 million (2008 dollars) positioned the Learjet 85 approximately $2 to 4 million below competing super-midsize jets of the time.

• Category. Super-midsize business jet (between midsize and super-midsize);
• Engines (design). 2 x Pratt and Whitney Canada PW3078 (thrust unspecified);
• Construction. All-composite primary structure; CSeries wing technology;
• Design cruise. Mach 0.82 (829 km/h);
• Design range. 3,000 nm / 5,556 km;
• Cabin (design). 7.54 m x 1.85 m x 1.8 m; up to 9 passengers; stand-up;
• Price target. $17.2 million (2008 dollars);
• Certification standard. FAR Part 25 (commercial transport; never achieved);
• Status. Cancelled October 2015; 2 prototypes; 70+ hours flight test; no deliveries.

Key design innovations of the Learjet 85

Three engineering decisions defined the Learjet 85 as Bombardier's most technically ambitious Learjet:

• First all-composite primary structure in Bombardier business jet history. The entire airframe was designed in composite materials - the first Bombardier business jet to use this approach. The technology was adapted from Bombardier's CSeries airliner wing development, which itself was among the most advanced composite wing programmes in commercial aviation. The weight reduction versus aluminium construction was intended to deliver the Mach 0.82 cruise and 3,000 nm range at the $17.2 million price point;
• FAR Part 25 certification target - first Learjet to attempt commercial transport standard. All previous Learjets were certified under FAR Part 23 (normal category). The Learjet 85 targeted FAR Part 25 - the commercial transport standard used for airliners. This was a higher regulatory threshold requiring significantly more flight test hours and engineering documentation than any previous Learjet programme;
• CATIA and HyperSizer digital design tools - the most advanced design methodology ever applied to a Learjet. Simple Flying confirmed the Learjet 85 was designed using CATIA (the aerospace-standard 3D design platform also used on the A380 and 787) and HyperSizer (composite structure optimisation software). This digital design approach was intended to reduce development time and manufacturing cost - targets that the actual programme timelines and losses demonstrate were not achieved.

Technical specifications

Learjet 85 vs comparable super-midsize jets

• Learjet 85 vs Bombardier Challenger 350. The Challenger 350 is the production super-midsize jet Bombardier prioritised over the Learjet 85 - and the aircraft that ultimately benefited from the resources freed by the Learjet 85 cancellation. The Challenger 350 has a wider cabin (2.18 m vs Learjet 85's 1.85 m), 3,200 nm range (comparable), Garmin G5000 glass cockpit and strong Bombardier factory support. Charter rates for the Challenger 350 run approximately 15 to 25% above what the Learjet 85 would have targeted. The Learjet 85's $17.2 million 2008 price would have competed directly below the Challenger 300 at equivalent capabilities;
• Learjet 85 vs Cessna Citation XLS+. The Citation XLS+ is the certified super-midsize competitor the Learjet 85 was positioned to challenge at a similar price point. The XLS+ has Garmin G5000 avionics, 2,100 nm range (below the Learjet 85's 3,000 nm target), a 5.64 m cabin (shorter than the Learjet 85's 7.54 m design) and Textron's global support network. The Learjet 85's 3,000 nm design range and 7.54 m cabin would have been decisive advantages over the XLS+ if certification had been achieved at the $17.2 million price target;
• Learjet 85 vs Hawker 1000. The Hawker 1000 is the existing aircraft whose 7.44 m cabin most closely matches the Learjet 85's 7.54 m design specification. The Hawker 1000 has 3,098 nm range (comparable) and PW305 FADEC engines. The Learjet 85's all-composite structure and Mach 0.82 cruise (vs Hawker 1000's 453 kt) would have been performance advances. Both aircraft represent the same market segment; the Hawker 1000 is the certified aircraft that fills the position the Learjet 85 never reached.

Frequently asked questions - Learjet 85

Is the Learjet 85 available to charter?
No - the Learjet 85 programme was cancelled on 29 October 2015 with a $2.6 billion total loss. Only two prototypes were built; the programme accumulated approximately 70 hours of flight test time. No production aircraft were certified or delivered. Private Jets UK can arrange comparable super-midsize charter on Challenger 350, Hawker 1000 or Citation XLS+ for groups of 6 to 9.

Why was the Learjet 85 cancelled?
Three factors combined. First, the all-composite manufacturing process was new to Bombardier in the business jet category and proved significantly more expensive and challenging than projected - the total programme loss was $2.6 billion on 70 flight test hours. Second, Bombardier's CSeries airliner and Global 7000/8000 programmes were simultaneously consuming capital. Third, post-2008 recession weakness in the midsize business jet market reduced the order book: Q3 2015 saw 64 Learjet 85 cancellations in a single quarter.

Did the Learjet 85 ever fly?
Yes - the first prototype made its maiden flight on 9 April 2014, reaching 30,000 ft and 250 kt in a 2 hour 15 minute test flight. A second flight test vehicle was under development. By the time Bombardier cancelled the programme in October 2015, the two aircraft had accumulated approximately 70 hours of flight test time - far short of the thousands of hours required for FAR Part 25 type certification.

What would the Learjet 85 have competed with?
The Learjet 85 was positioned between the midsize and super-midsize segments, targeting the Citation XLS+, Hawker 800XP and the gap below the Challenger 300 series. Its 7.54 m stand-up cabin and 3,000 nm range at $17.2 million would have been the key selling points versus the Citation XLS+ (shorter cabin, less range) and the Challenger 300 (higher price). The Flexjet fractional operator was the confirmed launch customer.

What happened to Learjet after the 85 was cancelled?
Without a new product in development, Bombardier could only offer the existing Learjet 70 and 75. In 2021, Bombardier announced the closure of the entire Learjet brand. The final Learjet 75 was delivered to Northern Jet Management of Grand Rapids, Michigan on 28 March 2022, ending approximately 60 years of Learjet production. Bombardier committed to continuing support for the 2,000+ Learjets in service and repurposed the Wichita facility as a service centre for Learjet, Challenger and Global aircraft.