One area of the aviation industry where competition is increasingly fierce is the 100-130-seater sector, with several new players popping up.
Canada’s Bombardier, a leading manufacturer of business aircraft and regional jets is taking on the heavyweights like Boeing and Airbus with its C-Series. Still in development, this plane will come in several versions.
“The aircraft that currently assure that market space have not changed very much, in 20, 30 even 40 years. It’s served with older aircraft, aircraft that do not take advantage of current technologies. The C-Series brings that to that segment, in a very effective way. It’s a game changer. From an environmental point of view, it leaves a much smaller environmental footprint in aircraft in that segment,” said John R. Arnone of Bombardier’s Media and Public Relations department.
Bombardier is not the only one. Other companies are also moving into the single-aisle sector: names like Brazi’s Embraer, China’s Comac, and Russia’s Irkut.
The aircraft the closest to certification is probably the Superjet 100.
The 100-130 seater is a joint venture between Russia’s Sukhoi and Italy’s Alenia Aeronautica and it also picked up some orders at the Farnborough Air Show.
Technical issues with the new engines have lead to some delays but the first of these Superjets should be delivered to Russian and Armenian customers next year with further deliveries in Italy in 2012.
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