Some good news for Bombardier today, as the CSeries (the CS100 subtype) completes its flight certification test programme.
With the flight test programme wrapped up, it’s now down to Transport Canada to review and issue a “type certificate” – allowing the CSeries to move from a development phase to a phase where they can deliver planes to customers.
Bombardier in the meantime are getting the final submission of the paperwork required to Transport Canada for approval.
Swiss will be the first operators of the CSeries (CS100), whilst airBaltic will be the first operator of the CS300
Deliveries to Swiss will be in the first half of 2016, whilst airBaltic will get theirs towards the end of 2016.
Currently, orders exist for 243 aircraft – with 53 to be the CS100 aircraft and the remaining 190 aircraft to CS300.
For Bombardier, the road to CSeries certification has not been an easy one – and nor have the expect sales materialised to the extent they were hoping to have.
Some orders will be vanishing sadly – Porter Airlines who were hoping to use the CSeries out of Toronto City Billy Bishop Airport. Sadly, it seems a change of government has forced a change of mind, putting the order at risk (unless Porter chooses to diversify from its current hub), risking another 12 aircraft with 18 options.
Hopefully the end of the certification campaign for the CS100, airlines will looking again at the CSeries and seeing if it can deliver the benefits it claims.
Whilst the certification flights are over, work continues with the route proving of the type so airports and airlines can draw operation procedures from it. 15 different route pairs in Canada are being trialled, with 20 routes in the USA to be tested. Once these are completed, work carries on as testing moves to Europe to aid a trouble-free entry into service.
And the trouble-free entry into service is what Swiss and Bombardier are hoping for.
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