Bombardier News

Bombardier announces management changes

Alain Bellemare, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc., announced today that he is bringing in new talent to reinforce the company’s management team. These changes will instill a fresh perspective at Bombardier, driving execution, alignment and intensity across the entire company. Pierre Alary will retire as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Bombardier Inc. In order to ensure a smooth transition, he will remain in his position until an international search for his successor has been completed. Mr. Bellemare also announced that Fred Cromer is appointed President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, effective immediately. Mr. Cromer will be joining his team in Mirabel in the coming weeks. He is replacing Mike Arcamone, who is leaving the company to pursue other interests. During Mr. Arcamone’s mandate, the CSeries development program achieved key milestones towards its entry into service and Bombardier wishes to thank him for his contribution to the company.

Canadian airframer Bombardier has signed a firm purchase agreement with Swiss Air-Ambulance Rega for three Bombardier Challenger 650 business jets.The total cost of the deal is estimated to be worth 130-million dollars.

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft today welcomed Biman Bangladesh Airlines (“Biman”), the national flag carrier airline of Bangladesh to the family of Q400 aircraft operators following confirmation that it has signed an agreement with Smart Aviation Company of Cairo, Egypt for the lease of two Q400 NextGen turboprops.

Anyone lost a Zebra?

Bombardier is looking to cut the rate of production on the Global 5000 and 6000 business jets. Demand is getting weaker as well as competitors pricing on other market segment aircraft are very aggressive. Bombardier is slowing deliveries of the Global 5000 and 6000 after business jet operating margins contracted to 7% in the first quarter – about half those at the company’s competitors. As the production rate for the two large-cabin, long-range business jets is reduced over the next 12 to 18 months, Bombardier is also withdrawing a timeline for delivering the first Global 7000 and 8000 jets.

Naljets which is a UK-based aircraft management company, is proud to have acquired a brand new $25 million Bombardier Challenger 350 business jet. The new jet be based and housed at Multiflight at Leeds Bradford International Airport.

Bombardier announces that it has expanded its customer services capacity in Europe with the addition of a Regional Support Office (RSO) in Munich, Germany. . Along with the RSO in Farnborough, UK, this office will bolster regional support capabilities for the growing number of Bombardier business aircraft customers in Europe.

Bombardier delivers 500th Challenger 300 business jet.

500th Challenger 300 SERIES aircraft

Jet Aviation Singapore undertakes first Bombardier Global 8C Inspection in the Asia Pacific region. The inspection will be completed in conjunction with an interior refurbishment. Following a highly competitive bidding process, Jet Aviation Singapore was selected to perform the first 8C inspection on a Bombardier Global Express in Asia Pacific, solidly establishing its standing as a highly capable and convenient heavy maintenance facility for all Global Express operators in the region. The inspection began earlier this month at the company’s newly expanded MRO facility at Seletar Aerospace Park.

As the aircraft’s largest maintenance event, the 10-year 8C inspection requires extensive dismantling of the cabin for a thorough check of the airframe and structures, including a major overhaul of the landing gear, examination of all operating systems and a detailed review of the aircraft’s flight documents. To take advantage of the disassembled aircraft and thereby reduce downtime, the customer also commissioned Jet Aviation Singapore to refurbish the aircraft while it conducts the 8C inspection. The refurbishment includes restoration of the aircraft’s woodwork, a soft material refurbishment, flooring and complete re-finishing of the cabin’s sidewalls and headliners. “This is a significant milestone project for us and represents a vote of confidence from a very experienced regional operator,” said John Riggir, vice president and general manager of Jet Aviation Singapore. “We look forward to demonstrating our capability and commitment to delivering a timely and highly valued outcome for our customer.

Bombardier Business Aircraft today announced that the 19th annual Safety Standdown U.S.A. will take place October 6-8, at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Wichita, KS. The Safety Standdown program will continue to tackle the risk posed to aviation safety by everyday distractions. This year’s focus will be on the practical applications of attention control techniques, building on the theoretical human factors training provided at Safety Standdown seminars in 2014. “Distraction is considered to be one of the most serious threats to aviation safety by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB),” said Safety Standdown expert, Captain Al Gorthy, United States Navy (Ret.). “This year, Safety Standdown will show aviation professionals how to recognize sources of distraction and ways of disconnecting from them to avoid negative impacts on safe operations,” he added.

“Bombardier’s commitment to aviation safety and the Safety Standdown program is unwavering,” said Andy Nurredin, Vice President & General Manager, Customer Services. “As an experienced airman, I know first-hand the value of the human factors training provided at Safety Standdown.” During this year’s seminar, we will pay special tribute to decorated United States Naval Aviator and former NASA Astronaut Captain Eugene A. Cernan, USN (Ret.), who has for more than a decade served on the Safety Standdown Advisory Council and as the program’s ambassador. Although Captain Cernan remains personally committed to the elimination of human errors that do emanate from the cockpit, the time has come for him to move on from his long tenure in support of Bombardier Aviation Safety Standdown and pursue other means of reminding all pilots that "good is never good enough in our world of aviation." Captain Cernan’s presence at seminars around the world, where he has shared his experience and knowledge, has inspired participants to remain committed to the prevention of human errors in aviation. “I have enjoyed working with my colleagues on the Advisory Council and have benefitted enormously from an association with my peers who have attended Safety Standdown over the years. They are all dedicated professionals in their own right.”

On Monday (Sept 14th) Jet Forums told you about the Global 7000 progress to-date as said by Bombardier. http://www.jetforums.net/threads/news-bombardier-details-global-7000-program-progress.1771/The first aircraft that is expected to be used in the test program has had its engines fitted and is starting to really come together now. It is also sitting on its own landing gear as well. Here is a close up of the new GE Passport port-side engine as mounted.

C-Series completes water ingestion tests

Jet Aviation St. Louis has completed and received FAA approval for the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for installation of its Future Airspace Navigation System (FANS) for the Bombardier Challenger 604. Rockwell Collins teamed with Jet Aviation St. Louis to develop the Rockwell Collins STC for the Challenger 604 FANS 1/A aftermarket solution, leveraging their combined experience and expertise on the CL 604 airframe. The FANS 1/A upgrade package, which includes the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADC-C) and Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC), will reduce pilot workload and significantly enhance the clarity and accuracy of pilot communications with Air Navigation Service Providers in oceanic and remote airspace worldwide. It will give those aircraft access to preferred wind-efficient transatlantic routes to save both time and fuel.

Bombardier expected to release Q3 results on Thursday 29th. Alain Bellemare, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc. and John Di Bert, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Bombardier Inc. willhold a conference call intended exclusively for investors and financial analysts to review the financial results for the third quarter.

Quebec's provincial government will invest $1 billion and take a 49.5% stake in the Bombardier CSeries programme, officials disclosed today. Bombardier's 50.5% share in the programme will transfer to a new limited partnership. Investissement Quebec will pay two $500 million instalments on 1 April and 30 June 2016. Just recently Airbus appeared to express interest in buying a stake in the CSeries. This move by the Quebec government will ensure the CSeries Programme doesn't leave Canada for a long time.

Bombardier admits it was working on too many programs at the same time. They have been working on new aircraft, including the C Series, LearJet 85 and Global 7000 / 8000, the company has also been working making upgrades to existing models, including the Challenger 350 (now completed) and the Challenger 650. The CSeries in particular has been a huge money drainer but the Learjet 85 wasn't creating much traction either and the market appeared weak and with little orders to go on and spiraling development costs they decided to permanently can that program.

Bombardier suggests that the C-Series is poised for year-end certification. "We are on track for certification this year," Ryan DeBrusk, vice-president of commercial aircraft sales, said at a media luncheon in London on 8 December. Swiss is the launch customer for the CS100 and they are expected to receive their first aircraft in the first half of 2016. Certification is anticipated to bring with it, more orders for Bombardier and the CSeries program which to this date accumulated 243 firm orders.