BOMBARDIER Aerospace has secured a third major order for its new CSeries aircraft which will in turn deliver a vital boost for its Belfast plant which is developing the wings for the long-range jets.
Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings has signed a firm purchase agreement to acquire 40 CSeries300 jetliners.
The agreement also includes an option to purchase an additional 40 CS300 aircraft.
Bombardier Aerospace said based on the list price for the CS300 aircraft the contract could be worth $3.06 billion or $6.34 billion if Republic Airways exercises all its options.
The Indianapolis airline holding company is the first North American airline to place a firm order for the CSeries, and it represents a significant breakthrough in the market for Bombardier.
Prior to this contract there had previously been just 50 recorded firm orders for the new CSeries family of aircraft.
The two existing customers included Deutsche Lufthansa AG, which had placed an order for 30 CS100 aircraft, and the Dublin-based aircraft leasing company, Lease Corporation International Group, which had ordered 17 CS300 and three CS100 aircraft.
Bombardier has indicated that it intends to have the first CSeries aircraft operational in 2012, and will schedule deliveries for 2013.
A spokesman for the Canadian group’s Northern Ireland operations said the latest contract win from Republic Airways Holdings was “great news for the UK and Northern Ireland in particular”.
Nearly 400 engineering and support staff in Belfast are currently involved in the research and development of the wings.
According to Bombardier, in the region of 800 jobs will be generated during full production, as well as many more in the wider supply chain.
The Canadian aerospace group is currently constructing a new state-of-the-art aircraft wing manufacturing and assembly facility to support the new CSeries programme at its Belfast site.
The project has generated around 450 construction jobs during its first phase.
A spokesperson for Bombardier Belfast said the facility had already “successfully manufactured and assembled a pre-production demonstrator wing” using its “unique resin transfer infusion process”.
Testing of the demonstrator wing is to begin shortly, and if everything goes to plan Bombardier Belfast hopes to start exporting the new wings to Canada by the middle of next year.
