Bombardier plans to keep its CRJ and Q400 production line rates steady for the foreseeable future.
The Canadian airframer in May warned that it was taking a hard look at its CRJ regional jet production rate, as orders remained depressed and customers sought delivery delays. But chief operating officer Guy Hachey now says a regular stream of new, albeit small, orders for Q400s and CRJs means the firm feels it "can keep the line rates the same" for the types.
Detailing Bombardier's results for its fiscal second quarter to 31 July, Hachey points to the Q400 backlog at 16 months worth of production and notes that "we held pretty even" compared with the 16 months backlog recorded at the beginning of the fiscal year.
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The CRJ backlog grew to 32 aircraft as of 31 July, up from 22 at the start of the fiscal year. That rise came with a decline in deliveries, though Hachey says he expects CRJ deliveries to pick up during the second half as the new 100-seat CRJ1000 enters service.
During the quarter, Bombardier recorded 15 new orders for commercial aircraft.
Source: Flight International
