Archive for the 'Bombardier' Category

Reader Poll: Will US Carriers Buy the CSeries?

Published
by
Dan Webb
on March 17, 2009
in Bombardier and Reader Polls
. 1 Comment

I figured it would be a good time for a new poll, considering the old one (Southwest’s next city) is out of date now that Boston has been announced.

The Bombardier CSeries got a boost last week when Lufthansa ordered 30 aircraft (plus 30 options) for its Swiss subsidiary. In terms of seats, the two CSeries variants fit snugly between the larger E-Jets and the smaller members of the 737 and A320 families. I was wondering if the aircraft will have any success here in the States.

I think one important aspect is who will fly it. Is it a regional or mainline aircraft? Having it as a regional aircraft would bring down labor costs, but it seems unlikely that many unions would change their scope clauses to accommodate it. US Airways operated the E190 as mainline, and aircraft only seats 99.

The CSeries C100 and C300 (image from Bombardier)

The CSeries C100 and C300 (image from Bombardier)

Personally, I see the CSeries being a good bargaining chip for some airlines. Threatening to order a large number of CSeries aircraft could motivate Boeing and Airbus to get going on replacements for the 737 and A320. At the same time, I do think some airlines would like to use the CSeries to replace the older 737s and A320s, as the CSeries will be available earlier.

So, what do you think?

Hello, Mr. CSeries!

Published
by
Dan Webb
on July 14, 2008
in Bombardier
. 0 Comments

Well here’s almost-Farnborough news. The press release was issued from there a day before the the show officially started. Bombardier wants to generate interest over the course of the week, I’m sure.

Like many things in this industry, the story of Bombardier’s CSeries reads almost like a soap opera. The Canadian company’s attempts to enter the 100+ seat market started awhile ago. First, it considered purchasing Fokker after that company had financial trouble. Then it considered the BRJ-X (Bombardier Regional Jet eXpansion) but decided to stretch the CRJ series instead. Then the CSeries was announced in 2004. Then it was cancelled in 2006 and the CRJ-1000 was the new focus, but then the CSeries restarted in 2007. Finally, the series was launched after Lufthansa signed a letter of intent (LOI) expressing interest in 30 aircraft and 30 options.

Regional aircraft have changed a great deal the past few years. Continue reading ‘Hello, Mr. CSeries!’