Hopes To Compete In Single-Aisle Category With Boeing, Airbus

A financial analyst with J.P. Morgan has upgraded Bombardier on news it is working on a larger, 150-seat version of its C-Series airliner that could directly compete with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.

Joseph B. Nadol says the new airplane would force Boeing and Airbus to re-engine their mainline single-aisle aircraft. ANN reported in November that additional competition from Embraer could also be a factor in that move. The Canadian newspaper The Telegraph-Journal reports that Nadol said a 150-seat version of the C-Series jet powered by Pratt & Whitney's PW1000G geared turbofan engines could grab significant market share from the Boeing-Airbus duopoly.

For its part, Bombardier called the report "speculative."  "The CS300 and CS100 are the aircraft we are developing and actively marketing around the world," said spokesman John Arnone.

The plane could meet some resistance. For instance, Delta Airlines CEO Richard Anderson said it is more cost effective to fly its aging fleet of MD-80's than to upgrade to more fuel-efficient 737's, indicating fuel efficiency may not be a deciding factor for airlines.

The C-Series design will likely be finalized sometime this year, and deliveries are expected to begin in 2013, the paper said. Bombardier has firm orders for 50 of the aircraft so far.

FMI: www.bombardier.com