Bombardier is to step up production of the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ), but cut back on output of its de Havilland Dash 8 regional turboprop.
The decision to increase CRJ production from five to six a month in 1998 came as Midway Airlines ordered ten aircraft, taking Bombardier's backlog to 112, including orders for the stretched 70-seat CRJ-700, deliveries of which are due to begin in late 2000.
In contrast, Dash 8 production will be reduced from four to 2.5 a month in 1998. Bombardier has a backlog of 52 orders, including 16 stretched 70-seat Dash 8-400s, deliveries of which begin in mid-1999. The Canadian company will add 600 jobs at its Montreal plant, where the CRJ is built, but will cut 450 at de Havilland in Toronto.
Bombardier says that it had been required to hire more people at de Havilland to overcome delays in Dash 8 completions - caused by the late delivery of interior kits by Hunting and the disruption caused by the subsequent switch to a new supplier, C&D Interiors. It says that it will have caught up "within the next few weeks".
The company will deliver 40 Dash 8-200/300s in 1997, the same number as in 1996, and will build 29 in 1998, but hand over 40 as it delivers over the remaining delayed aircraft. Earlier this year, Mesa Air Group cut its Dash 8-200 order from 25 to12 (and dropped 25 options) because of the delivery delays.
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina-based Midway will take delivery of the ten CRJ-200s on firm order from November and has taken options on 20 more.
Source: Flight International
