Oct 03 2013
Bombardier announced on Ocotber 4, 2013 that Luxair placed a firm order for a single Q400 NextGen aircraft and has placed an option for one additional Q400 NextGen aircraft. Luxair currently operates six Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft.
This order increases firm orders for Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprops to 476 aircraft.
Oct 02 2013
ATR announced on October 1, 2013 that it had received an order from Garuda Indonesia to purchase 25 ATR 72-600 with options on 10 further examples.
The airline chose the ATR 72 over the Q400 aircraft for various reasons including that the price of the ATRs were significantly less than the Q400s that Bombardier offered.
Bombardier did win a contract with the airline for CRJ1000s in 2012 which are in the process of being delivered.
Bombardier confirmed recently that talks are under way with Lion Air for an agreement to purchase CSeries aircraft.
ATR will start deliveries in November 2013.
Sep 27 2013
It has been reported that Bombardier is in tails with Lion Air with an aim to the airline purchasing CS300s.
Lion Air is Indonesia’s largest privately run airline and one of the world’s fastest-growing low-cost airlines.
Representatives of the airline visited the C Series plant near Montreal last week and suggested that the CS300 might be suitable for the airline’s operations.
The CS300 can seat up to 160 passengers, the smaller CS100 seats 110.
Sep 26 2013
Comac has indicated that the company’s plan for the ARJ21 program is to have the aircraft certified in 2014 with first delivery to Chengdu Airlines by the end of that year.
Comac revealed at the Aviation Expo in Beijing that the ARJ21 had recently completed tests for the emergency release of the aircraft’s landing gear, a long term issue for the program.
Comac has four ARJ21 aircraft undergoing testing have they have have completed more than 2,000 flights totalling some 4,000 hours. Comac indicated that approximately 70 percent of the flight test program is complete.
Progress on the ARJ21 was slowed by problems in development as well as certification. First delivery was originally scheduled for 2007 but has been pushed back many times in the past. Comac has orders for 252 aircraft, mainly from Chinese airlines and leasing companies. During the Beijing Aviation Expo, there were four ARJ21 aircraft in four different configurations on the display flight line.