Airline Empires - Airline and Aviation Articles, Airline Simulation - Bombardier Looks to Stretch Q-400 and CRJ-900

Bombardier Looks to Stretch Q-400 and CRJ-900

By Lori Ranson/Aviation Daily
03/15/2006 09:33:26 AM

Bombardier is pressing ahead with building a business case for stretching its two largest commercial planes -- the CRJ-900 and the Q400 turboprop -- and keeping a close watch on maintaining what it says is the operating cost advantage over rival Embraer's 170 and 190 airplanes.

The Canadian airframer publicized its focus on stretching the planes after deciding to shelve the launch of its 100-plus-seat, clean-sheet C-Series aircraft.

Bombardier is eyeing a 90-seat version of the 70- to 76-seat Q400 turboprop that would give current Q400 operators a 10%-15% CASM improvement, said Steve Ridolfi, president of the airframer's regional aircraft division, on the sidelines yesterday of a ceremony commemorating the 250th CRJ-700 delivery to SkyWest.

There's potential for a 90-seat turboprop to have efficient operating costs on routes in the 300- to 400-mile range, Ridolfi said, noting that on the short-haul flights Bombardier could compete "incredibly well" with low-cost leaders like Ryanair or Southwest, which fly Boeing 737s. He noted that both European and the Q400's U.S. operators had shown interest in the plane.

In evaluating the stretch of the 900 -- the 900X -- it's important for Bombardier to keep the current 10% cost advantage the 700 and 900 have over the Embraer 170/190 family, Ridolfi said. The challenge is retaining the low operating expenses for a possible 100-seat jet. Ridolfi envisions the 900X as a possible replacement for Fokker 70s/100s. If Bombardier offers the aircraft, European customers likely will buy the plane before U.S. carriers because of more liberal scope clauses.

Related Items:

Write Comment
Name:	Guest
Title:
Comment:

Comments

Written by Guest on 2007-03-21 16:57:34

remember their's always yesterday