Article Posted on : - Mar 13, 2009

Image of a CSeries aircraft from Bombardier's official site

MONTREAL (BNS): Bombardier’s new jetliner that would directly compete with Boeing and Airbus has entered the market with a bang, bagging the first contract with Deutsche Lufthansa.

The Canadian company’s deal with Deutsche Lufthansa is worth $1.53 billion and comes at a time when the industry is hit by recession. The German airline will buy 30 CSeries jets for its Swiss International Airlines. The order may be doubled at a later stage.

It is the biggest success for Bombardier which has just launched the brand new CSeries that would be introduced only in 2013. The company claims that several airlines in the world have shown interest in the aircraft which is being marketed as fuel-efficient alternative to older Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 series.

The Lufthansa order comes at a right time for Bombardier which is looking to build the CSeries assembly line for the high profile customer. The aircraft will come in two versions with 110 and 130 seats. A higher capacity model is expected to be introduced by 2016.

“Our purchase agreement with Bombardier for CSeries aircraft is a renewal of Lufthansa’s commitment to commercial success balanced by environmental and business policies oriented toward sustainability and passenger comfort,” said Nico Buchholz, Senior Vice President, Corporate Fleet, Lufthansa.

“We are proud to be the launch customer for the C Series family of aircraft which meets our requirements for sustainable fleet development including significant reductions in fuel burn and noise, as well as offering flexibility for the future.”

“Having Lufthansa - known throughout the airline industry for its stringent engineering and technical standards - sign this purchase agreement for our CSeries aircraft, confirms their confidence in the airplane and the future of the program,” said Gary R Scott, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

“We, at Bombardier, are delighted to have Lufthansa working with us from the beginning as we develop a family of aircraft designed specifically to meet the needs of the 100- to 149-seat market segment.”

The company claimed that the aircraft is fitted with latest technology and has a fourth generation aerodynamics. It comes with usual features like fly-by-wire controls, electric brakes and a next generation engine (Pratt & Whitney Pure Power PW1000G).

Bombardier is promoting the plane for the environment friendly features and fuel efficiency. It claims that the aircraft will emit 20 per cent less CO2 and 50 per cent less NOx. It would be four times quieter and save energy by at least 20 per cent.

These features have become an attraction for carriers who are looking to bring down their operational costs.