Canadian airframer Bombardier recorded a 13% drop in overall deliveries for fiscal 2009 ending 31 January, and warns the slide in deliveries will continue into the current year.

Deliveries fell to 302 compared with 349 the year prior. Bombardier delivered 121 commercial aircraft to customers versus 110 deliveries for fiscal 2008, which the company says is in line with previous guidance of a 10% increase.

Commercial deliveries were split roughly between the CRJ and QSeries turboprop at 60 and 61 respectively.

Business jet deliveries also fell from 235 to 176 in fiscal 2009, which Bombardier says is also in line with prior estimates of a 25% decrease year-over-year. Customers accepted delivery of 44 Learjet, 82 Challenger and 50 Global Express aircraft.

The company also delivered five Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft last year, down from four in fiscal 2008.

Bombardier is predicting deliveries in 2010 will fall further as it recorded 11 aircraft orders in 2009 net of cancellations. The company's order tally in 2008 net of cancellations was 367.

Commercial aircraft deliveries from Bombardier are expected to fall 20% in fiscal 2010, and the company expects to deliver the bulk of those aircraft during the last three quarters of the year. The concentration of deliveries during the last nine months of the year is a result of CRJ production rate adjustments announced last year and the certification delay of the CRJ1000.

The decline in business jet deliveries in fiscal 2010 will continue, with Bombardier predicting 15% fewer deliveries than in 2009.

Cancellations for 85 business aircraft drove the net order total of 11 aircraft in 2009, compared with total orders for 251 aircraft the year prior.

Commercial customers ordered 88 aircraft led by the CSeries with 50, 16 for the Q400 and 22 for the CRJ series. In fiscal 2008 customers ordered a total of 114 Bombardier commercial jets.

Orders for eight amphibious aircraft were also recorded in fiscal 2009.

Commenting on the current outlook Bombardier Aerospace chief operating officer Guy Hachey says: "While indications of market stabilisation have started to emerge, we remain cautious as economic uncertainty still prevails. We have taken significant steps to strengthen our operations and continue to invest significantly in future programmes."

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news