Bombardier Launches New Aircraft To Compete With Boeing And Airbus
FARNBOROUGH, England (AP) — Canadian planemaker Bombardier has issued a challenge to bigger rivals Boeing and Airbus with the launch of a new jetliner.
The C-series plane will carry 110-145 passengers and is designed to compete against the aging Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 jets — as well as the ERJ 190 made by regional jetmaker Embraer of Brazil.
Bombardier’s largest plane currently flying, the CRJ-900, has a maximum of 88 seats.
German airline Lufthansa says it provisionally has ordered 30 of the new planes with an option of buying 30 more.
Bombardier Chief Executive Officer Pierre Beaudoin says the planemaker is also in discussions with other airlines, which he declined to name. The company has said it needs 50-100 solid plane orders before moving ahead with production.
Bombardier, based in Montreal, says the plane would enter service in 2013, and each would cost $46.7 million at list price.
