AIG takes advantage of Global Express speed
The 73-year-old New York-based insurance company had interests and offices in nearly 130 countries and Canada’s Bombardier at the time had just introduced

The 73-year-old New York-based insurance company had interests and offices in nearly 130 countries and Canada’s Bombardier at the time had just introduced an airplane–the Global Express–that seemed to meet AIG’s requirements.

The Montreal-based company was projecting an NBAA/eight-pax range for the twinjet in excess of 6,500 nm, which would, under most conditions, allow nonstop travel from New York to Tokyo. At that time, the company was regularly traveling between city pairs separated by 6,000 nm or more. Range was a major consideration, and with that in mind, AIG placed an order for what was then little more than “a paper airplane.”