Bombardier chairman Laurent Beaudoin has revealed that the group's next priority is to plug the gap in its business-jet range between the Learjet 60 and Canadair Challenger 604.
Beaudoin says that a new-aircraft programme is "under study", and that the group will make an announcement in "the near future". The aircraft would be in the middle ground which has opened up in terms of price and range between the existing products.
The studies are focused on a "super mid-size" aircraft to rival Galaxy Aerospace's Galaxy and Raytheon's Hawker Horizon, fitting into the price gap between the $10 million Learjet 60 and $20 million Challenger 604. The Learjet 60 has a range of 4,400km (2,400nm), while that of the Challenger is 7,500km.
Meanwhile, efforts are being focused on coping with rising demand for existing products. Beaudoin says that Bombardier has now received "a little over 60 orders" for the Global Express. Further growth is being constrained by a lack of production slots. "People want the aircraft now, but we're booked up until 2000," he says.
The plan is to build 20 aircraft in 1998, after the first delivery in mid-year, but to increase to up to 36 in 1999 in an effort to meet demand.
Production of the 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet is also being stepped up from 60 this year to 67 in 1998, although de Havilland Dash 8 production will stay at 42 a year.
Expansion of the regional-jet line appears to be taking a back seat following the launch of the 70-seat version. Beaudoin says that studies have taken place into a 30-seat regional jet, possibly through a Dash 8 development, but adds that they did not produce a good economic case against existing turboprops.
"We had difficulties in justifying the increased operating costs," he says. The group will look to see how Fairchild Dornier fares with its 30-seat regional-jet offering.
Beaudoin also says that studies with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Boeing into a project for the 85- to 100-seat regional-jet market are taking a back seat.
Source: Flight International
