Bombardier Aerospace has announced that Deutsche Lufthansa AG, the launch customer for the CSeries aircraft programme, has signed a firm purchase agreement for 30 CSeries model CS100 (formerly C110) single-aisle aircraft. These aircraft will be operated by Lufthansa's subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines, replacing that carrier's Avro RJ100s. The agreement also includes options on an additional 30 CSeries aircraft.
Based on list price, the contract value for the 30 CS100s is approximately $1.53 billion.
The Lufthansa Group became the launch customer for the CSeries aircraft family at the Farnborough Air Show in July 2008 when it signed a Letter of Interest (LOI) for up to 60 aircraft, including 30 options.
"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 CSeries 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, confirms their confidence in the aeroplane and the future of the programme," said Gary 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."
Bombardier also announced the launch of new model designations for the aircraft family. The 110-seat configuration (previously known as the C110 aircraft) will be designated the CS100 and the 130-seat configuration (formerly the C130 aircraft) will be known as the CS300.
The CS100 and CS300 aircraft models will share a new common centreline engine and have the same crew type rating, operating and maintenance procedures. Each of the aircraft models will also have operational flexibility to permit utilisation on both short-haul and transcontinental routes.
In addition to Bombardier's fourth-generation transonic composite wing design, the company is also using its Reconfigurable Engineering Flight Simulator II (REFS II) to develop customised 'fly-by-wire' control laws specific to CSeries aircraft. This simulator is the first of many devices planned, as part of an extensive integrated test regime, to ensure the CSeries aircraft achieves consistently high levels of reliability when it enters service.
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