WASHINGTON, March 29 Reuters The Federal Aviation Administration FAA on Friday said it certified General Dynamics Corp39;s Gulfstream flagship G700 business aircraft, driving fresh competition in the top end of the market for luxury jets.

Gulfstream had previously expected to obtain certification of the largecabin jet, which competes with Canadian private planemaker Bombardier39;s Global 7500, in late 2023 and had planned to deliver 19 of the aircraft.

The process for certifying new aircraft in the United States has come under greater scrutiny following the fatal crashes of two flights involving the Boeing 737 MAX in October 2018 and March 2019. Industry officials expect that to persist after a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 midflight in January.

Gulfstream President Mark Burns in 2019 said he believed the FAA would seek more information during the G700 certification, following the crashes, but did not expect any unreasonable requests.

Gulfstream said the G700 will have takeoff and landing distances shorter than originally anticipated.

We have successfully completed the most rigorous certification program in company history with the G700, Burns said.

In September, the company announced performance improvements, saying the G700 range increased to 7,750 nautical miles 14,353 kilometers at Mach 0.85, as has its maximum operating speed to become the fastest Gulfstream jet.

Business jet makers expect sustained customer appetite for private planes after a…