Bombardier says it expects to fly its new flagship business jet, the Global 7000, in November and that it’s ramping up for production and deliveries. Bombardier’s bizjet programs have been overshadowed by the company’s problematic development of the CSeries airliner but David Coleal, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft, told Reuters that the program is on track for an entry to service of late 2018. Coleal called the ultra long range aircraft his division’s “number one priority” and there are 2,000 employees working on it.

The airplane will be the first real contender to the Gulfstream 650, which has a massive backlog but whose new orders have slowed as part of the general trend to weaker big bizjet sales. The Global 7000 is expected to have a range of 8,500 miles in the high Machs. According to Reuters, the engines have been started on the test article but Bombardier spokesman Mark Masluch would not confirm the first flight will be in November. The program was announced in 2010 with predicted delivery date of 2016. There will undoubtedly be a program updat at NBAA 2016 in Orlando in early November.