Its North American rivals may be staying away, but Bombardier Business Aircraft is confident about winning new customers at Paris as it detects glimmers of recovery in the battered sector.
The Canadian giant is at the show in force, with three jets in the static display - the Global Express XRS, Challenger 850 and Learjet 60XR - and a mock-up of the all-composite Learjet 85, the biggest aircraft of the Wichita-built family.
Bombardier is signing up second-tier suppliers to the programme as it works towards joint definition phase ahead of a planned entry into service in 2013.
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A number of manufacturers - including Cessna and Gulfstream - are shunning Le Bourget this year as they turn their marketing focus on specialist annual business aviation events such as EBACE in Geneva and the USA's NBAA convention. However, Steve Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft, believes this week's show is still a vital platform.
"Paris is still a very important show for us," says Ridolfi. "We will be talking to customers - those who didn't make it to EBACE and some who did. We did very good business in Geneva and we hope that will continue here."
Bombardier also says it is looking at establishing its first company-owned service facilities outside North America as the balance of its fleet moves increasingly towards the rest of the world. The company has more than 40 authorised centres, but apart from six in the USA, all are operated by third-party partners.
Bombardier, Dassault and Hawker Beechcraft are the only major business aviation airframers with a business jet presence at Paris this year, although Daher-Socata, Diamond and Piaggio are also here.
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Source: Flight Daily News
