Germany’s Aero-Dienst Accepts New Super-Midsize Jet

So eager was Bombardier to unveil its Challenger 3500 super-midsize jet that it jumped the gun, debuting the model one month prior to 2021’s NBAA-BACE event.

Bombardier CEO Éric Martel remarked at the time: “We simply couldn’t contain our excitement ahead of the [National Business Aviation Association] event in Las Vegas,”

An evolution of Bombardier’s storied Challenger 300 aircraft family—of which the Canadian airframer has delivered over eight-hundred specimens since the type’s January 2004 introduction—the 3500 borrows DNA from Bombardier’s Global 7500 flagship.

On 23 June 2023, Bombardier announced the first delivery of its Challenger 3500 to a European customer. The handover occurred during a 29 May ceremony at the plane-maker’s Montreal headquarters.

The aircraft, registration D-BAPE, passed into the care of its new owner, Germany’s Aero-Dienst GmbH, a charter airline operating business-jet and air-ambulance flights out of Nuremberg Airport (NUE).

Founded in 1958 by German technology and heavy-equipment firms Diehl and Faun, Aero-Dienst operates air-ambulance services on behalf of ADAC Luftrettung (German Air Rescue)—Germany’s largest air-ambulance operator by the metric of fleet-size. Aero-Dienst is among the oldest German airlines still operating under its original appellation.

By dint of its purchase agreement with Bombardier, Aero-Dienst oversaw the entirety of its new Challenger 3500’s completion, technical acceptance inspection, and delivery—thereby ensuring the aircraft’s conformity with the air-carrier’s specifications.

Aero-Dienst manager of aircraft sales Andreas Strabel stated: “We would like to thank all participants for their commitment during the delivery and commissioning process and are thrilled that the five-day final acceptance procedure was executed so professionally and smoothly.”

Herr Strabel added: “It makes us proud to be the operator of the first Challenger 3500 in Europe. This outstanding aircraft will be based at the Central European Oberpfaffenhofen airport [OBF], located close to Munich in the southern part of Germany, and will be operated for the owner and Aviator Aircraft's key accounts. Our experienced maintenance team will handle technical support of the new CL3500 at our own on-site service center.”

Bombardier’s Challenger 3500 is a formidable machine capable of transporting up to ten passengers over distances as 3,400-nautical-miles at speeds as high as 0.83 Mach—albeit not contemporaneously. The 3500’s 7,323-lbf. Honeywell HTF730 turbofan engines expediently motivate the 40,600-pound (MGTOW) aircraft directly to FL430 and—after a bit of fuel-burn—on up to its service ceiling of FL450. At altitude, passengers and crew alike benefit from the newest Challenger’s lowest-in-class cabin-altitude (4,860-feet at FL410) and an environmental system that continuously replenishes the pressure-vessel with fresh-air.

Challenger 3500 Pilots enjoy a host of cutting-edge technologies, to include a standard auto-throttle system, Head-Up Display (HUD), dual FMS systems with LPV (Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance) and RNP (Required Navigation Performance) capabilities, dual IRS, Synthetic Vision, dual SBAS/WAAS (Satellite-Based Augmentation System/Wide Area Augmentation System) GPS, and MultiScan weather radar. 

In addition to its numerous cockpit technologies, the Challenger 3500 features voice-controlled cabin lighting, environmental, and entertainment systems; wireless device chargers; and the only 24-inch, 4K display in the super-midsize class.

Speaking to the machine’s capabilities, Bombardier regional vice president Ettore Rodaro set forth: “The new Challenger 3500 aircraft is the perfect charter solution … offering a truly seamless travel experience. With its impressive performance, consistent reliability, and exceptional smooth ride, the Challenger 3500 is the industry’s leading super midsize business jet.”

In recognition of the Challenger 3500’s design excellence, Bombardier was presented 2022’s prestigious Best of the Best Red Dot Award. The accolade honors innovation, vision, and execution, and stands as a testament to both the Challenger program and the resolutely innovative spirit from which it arose and rises still.

FMI: www.businessaircraft.bombardier.com