Aircraft

Bombardier today divulged further details about its plans to tweak the performance specifications and dimensions of the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G-powered CSeries family.

Speaking to ATI on the sidelines of the ISTAT conference in Phoenix, Bombardier commercial aircraft president Gary Scott said: "We are going to come out with new specs. The weight [change] is a result of all the tweaking."

For example, he says, the operating empty weight (OEW) for the 110-seat CS100 used to be 73,000lbs. "It will now be 73,500lbs."

Bombardier last year launched the CSeries programme with a letter of interest from Lufthansa for up to 60 aircraft. Last week the Canadian airframer announced a firm order from Lufthansa for 30 CSeries CS100 aircraft in 115-seat configuration.

Scott acknowledges that Bombardier had hoped to launch the CSeries programme with a firm order for 50- to 100-aircraft. "What changed our mind was Lufthansa - you can't get a better customer than Lufthansa. They did also sign up for 30 options and I have some confidence they will firm up those."

The Bombardier executive touts the CSeries' short-runway capability. "The CS100 will do London City. It can fly from there and fly 1,400nm." The CS300 will not do London City, however.

The CSeries is scheduled to enter into service in the second half of 2013. "As we've said in the past, the future is now," says Scott, who is confident further orders are forthcoming.