Bombardier rebuffed by manufacturers but says decision on future of 110/135-seat airliner still to be made in February
Bombardier has approached Airbus and Boeing over participation in its planned CSeries 110/135-seat airliner, but both declined the invitation. The rebuff means the Canadian company will face competition from both Airbus's and Boeing's smallest offerings as well as from rival Embraer's 190/195 family for a market it estimates at 6,000 aircraft.
Airbus chief commercial officer John Leahy says: "We declined the approach and I believe Boeing has done the same." Boeing says: "Yes, we were approached. However we declined, because we decided it was unwise to participate in a programme that would compete with our own programmes."
Concern over competing head-to-head with Airbus and Boeing was one reason Bombardier shelved development of the 100-seat BRJ-X in 2000. Bombardier says overtures to Airbus and Boeing were made as part of the CSeries pre-launch evaluation phase. "We talked to several possible partners. We are completing this plan and a decision is to be taken around February," it says.
Canadian industry minister David Emerson was expected to seek cabinet approval last week to negotiate government launch aid for the CSeries. Unconfirmed local press reports suggest the aid will take the form of a $400 million national aerospace loan programme, the bulk of which would go to Bombardier. The Ottawa and Quebec governments are also putting together incentive packages to back bids to secure final assembly.
Bombardier wants C$700 million ($570 million) in government launch aid and is conducting a contest for the final assembly site between locations in Canada, the UK and USA. Canada's prime minister Paul Martin has made it clear the government will provide launch aid, while transport minister Jean Lapierre says the ousting of chief executive Paul Tellier and his replacement by chairman and former chief executive Laurent Beaudoin will not affect the talks.
GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY GUY NORRIS IN LOS ANGELES AND MAX KINGSLEY-JONES IN LONDON
Source: Flight International
