G-LOBX, Lakshmi Mittal's Global 7500, lands in Datong, China after 9.5-hour flight

Lakshmi Mittal's Bombardier Global 7500, tail number G-LOBX, flew from RAF Marham (EGYM) in King's Lynn, Norfolk, United Kingdom to Datong Yungang International Airport (ZBDT) in China on Monday, November 9, 2026. The aircraft departed at 14:38 UTC and landed at 00:10 UTC, spending 9 hours and 32 minutes in the air.

The great-circle distance of the flight was 4,263 nautical miles, or 4,905 miles, covering 55 percent of the aircraft's 7,700 nautical mile range. The Global 7500, an ultra long range jet from Bombardier, cruised at an average ground speed of 447 knots, reaching a top speed of 587 knots and a highest altitude of 45,000 feet. The flight burned an estimated 4,292 US gallons of fuel, producing about 41,228 kilograms of CO2, equivalent to driving a car 102,050 miles. The aircraft typically seats 13 passengers, up to 19, and has a cabin length of 54.4 feet.

This was the first tracked landing at Datong Yungang International Airport for G-LOBX in the tracking window from September 7 to November 6, 2026. The aircraft's home base is Geneva International Airport (LSGG) in Switzerland. In the 30 days before this flight, G-LOBX visited 19 airports in 7 countries, flying about 11,738 nautical miles. The most common destinations in that window were Luton Airport (EGGW) with 12 landings, Glasgow Airport (EGPF) with 5, and Liverpool Airport (EGGP) with 2.

Lakshmi Mittal is executive chairman of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel and mining company by output, with an estimated net worth of $16.4 billion according to Forbes. He built his fortune through steel mills across Asia, Africa, and Europe, merging with Arcelor in 2006. A long-time UK resident, Mittal shifted his tax residence to Switzerland in 2024 amid Britain's wealth tax changes and also maintains property in Dubai. No public events or meetings involving Lakshmi Mittal or ArcelorMittal in Datong were found in the web search results.

The flight from a Royal Air Force base in Norfolk to a city in northern China marked a significant long-distance trip for the aircraft. If Lakshmi Mittal was aboard, the purpose of the visit to Datong remains unclear from public sources.

The departure field, RAF Marham, has a longest runway of 9,131 feet and sits at an elevation of 75 feet. The arrival airport, Datong Yungang International Airport, has a longest runway of 9,843 feet and an elevation of 3,442 feet. The distance from the aircraft's home base at Geneva International Airport to Datong is 4,331 nautical miles.

In the 30 days before this flight, the aircraft completed 22 flights, spending 30.1 hours in the air and producing an estimated 129,967 kilograms of CO2. The longest leg in that period was from Hartford to Luton on October 19, 2026, covering 2,918 nautical miles. The aircraft had been on the ground for about three days before this trip, following a previous tracked landing at Luton on November 6.

The Bombardier Global 7500 has a top speed of Mach 0.925, or 516 knots, and a service ceiling of 51,000 feet. The estimated fuel burn for this aircraft is 450 US gallons per hour.