Bombardier has landed its largest-ever corporate-jet order - a deal worth well above $250 million with the Canadian company's Middle East distributor, TAG Aeronautics.
Five Global Expresses and an equal number of Challenger 604s are to be delivered, starting in late 1998. Orders for the long-range Global Express now total more than 70, with TAG accounting for about 20 of the aircraft.
TAG launched the Global Express programme at Dubai four years ago with an order for five firm and five options - since converted into firm orders. It has now taken orders for 53 corporate jets from Bombardier since the companies tied up a distributor deal in 1977. TAG has also taken delivery of a second Canadair Special Edition - a corporate version of the Regional Jet.
Bombardier Business Aircraft division president Michael Graff says that, despite strong growth, and the move by rival Gulfstream in the region, the company will not extend its Business JetSolution Flexjet fractional-ownership programme to the Middle East.
Graff says that Bombardier is looking at improving product support in the region and expects to make a decision in the second quarter of 1998 about a local maintenance centre to support up to 40 Bombardier aircraft expected in the region by the end of the decade.
The company opened its new joint-venture European maintenance centre with Lufthansa on 20 November. Graff confirms, however, that a plan to set up a corporate-jet charter business with Lufthansa CityLine has been abandoned.
Source: Flight International
