Bombardier to decide by year-end whether to produce regional jet variant as European carriers express interest
Bombardier says it will decide whether to launch its proposed CRJ900X stretch by year-end, and has announced the first airline commitments for the aircraft.
The Canadian manufacturer announced last week that a contract placed by Italian airline Myair for 19 CRJ900s contains rights to convert 15 of the orders to the CRJ900X if it goes ahead. It adds that in the event that launch does not proceed, the firm order will remain for the standard 86-seat CRJ900. Earlier this year, Turkish carrier Atlas Jet also indicated it would be interested in acquiring the new model.
Barry MacKinnon, vice-president of markets and airline analysis at Bombardier Regional Aircraft, says Bombardier is “working towards later this year” for a launch decision on the proposed 98- to 100-seater. Speaking at last week’s European Regions Airline Association general assembly in Barcelona, MacKinnon said that Bombardier has an internal goal for the number of aircraft required for launch, but would not disclose details.
Bombardier hopes to secure additional customers by year-end and is mainly talking to European carriers – operators of Fokker 70/100s and BAe 146/BAe Systems Avro RJs as well as low-cost carriers or start-ups similar to Myair. “There is a good replacement market. We see Europe as the initial market,” says MacKinnon.
He adds that there are 250 of those four ageing types operating in Europe and Bombardier expects to get at least half of this sector of the large regional jet market. There is little interest in the USA because of scope clauses.
The CRJ900X will have two additional centre barrel sections – the forward one 1.58m (62in)-long, the aft 1.37m – giving three extra rows of seats at the standard 31in (79cm) pitch. The fuselage cross-section will remain the same, but the wing trailing edge area will increase.
Chuck Nugent, GE general manager small commercial engines, says that for the CRJ900X “we will use the configuration of the [CRJ900’s existing] CF34-8C5, but will provide the 2% increased thrust as required”. He adds that the engine is “fairly well defined” and GE will have no problems meeting Bombardier’s timeline.
Source: Flight International
