Bombardier is this week planning to conduct the maiden voyage of its CSeries aircraft, flight test vehicle one (FTV1), depending on weather conditions, after receiving a permit from Transport Canada last month.
The planned flight is a part of Bombardier’s $3.4bn, five-year programme aimed at strengthening the company to compete against Boeing and Airbus.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The company’s first CSeries aircraft will take maiden flight from Montréal-Mirabel International Airport in Canada.
Powered by Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1500G engines, the cost-effective CSeries aircraft line is developed for the growing 100 to 149-seat market, and burns 20% less fuel per trip compared with similar aircraft.
The FTV1 test aircraft is a CS100 model, which will accommodate 110 passengers, while the larger version, CS300, will seat 135 passengers and have a capacity of nearly 160.
The CSeries aircraft feature clean-sheet design that ensures reduced noise and emissions, enhanced operational flexibility, improved airfield performance and a range of 2,950nm.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataUp to 12,000lb lighter than other aircraft in the same seat category, the CSeries aircraft will offer passengers a widebody cabin environment in a single-aisle aircraft.
Maiden flight of CSeries was originally planned for the second half of 2012, but was later postponed due to longer than expected integration process.
On 30 August, the company received the flight test approval from Transport Canada, giving permission to conduct high-speed taxi testing and flight testing.
As of 30 June, the Bombardier CSeries family of aircraft has a total of 177 firm orders, including 63 CS100 and 114 CS300s.
Image: The FTV1 test aircraft is a CS100 model, which will accommodate 110 passengers. Photo: courtesy of Alexandre Gouger.
