C Series Approval

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MONTREAL, March 24 (Reuters) - Bombardier Inc said its CSeries will soon become the largest commercial aircraft capable of landing at London City Airport, a feat the Canadian planemaker expects will whet buyer interest at a time of sluggish market demand for new jets.



Bombardier, which this week completed a series of dedicated flight trials, expects to receive "steep approach" certification in the second quarter so that airlines can land the 110-seat CS100 variant at the urban airport, which has the challenge of a shorter runway, spokesman Bryan Tucker said.



The certification would allow CSeries customer Swiss Airlines to operate at London City, which is a four-mile drive from the capital's main financial district.



"We expect this to generate interest from other operators as the aircraft demonstrates its capabilities," Tucker said.



The arrival of the lightweight, carbon-composite CSeries at London City could boost Bombardier in the run-up to the industry's showcase Paris Air Show in June.



It comes as planemakers are bracing for another bout of softer sales in 2017 after a prolonged order boom peaked in 2014. Planemakers are having to battle harder for business amid a glut of new planes and concerns over the economy.



"We've been binging on orders," said Teal Group aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia, who expects muted demand in 2017.



Because of its lighter weight than most aircraft of its size, the Canadian jet can fly direct to New York from London City when carrying about 40 passengers in exclusively business-class seating.



UK startup Odyssey Airlines and Geneva-based private charter operator PrivatAir have both announced plans to operate the plane out of the airport, with Odyssey planning services to North America and the Middle East.



A number of operators have tried and failed to make money on banker-friendly London City-New York services, which until now have had to stop in Ireland for fuel on the westbound journey due to prevailing headwinds.



Although it has won accolades for fuel savings and a smooth entry into service with Swiss in 2016, the CSeries has not received a substantial order since the sale of 75 CS100 jets to Delta Air Lines nearly a year ago.



An earlier order for 45 130-seat CS300 versions to Air Canada was completed in June.



After relaunching the programme with steep discounts to boost sales following production delays, Bombardier is coming under pressure to secure profitable new sales in the run up to the Paris show.



"We are comfortable where we are at this point," Tucker said of CSeries' existing sales.



As of December 2016, the CSeries had recorded 360 firm orders and most capacity is sold out through 2020, he said. (Editing by Tim Hepher and David Clarke)



© Thomson Reuters 2017 All rights reserved.

[andypspotter]

Bombardier on 23 March completed CSeries validation tests at London City airport and expects to receive certification to operate commercial flights to the facility in as little as six to eight weeks.

"The aircraft flew flawlessly. There were no issues," Bombardier's vice-president of the CSeries programme Robert Dewar tells FlightGlobal.

Bombardier's second CSeries test vehicle, a CS100 variant, lands at London City airport on 22 March.

Aircraft operating to London City require special certification largely due to the airport's steep approach requirement.

Bombardier began London City certification tests for the CSeries months ago at other airports, performing approaches as steep as 7.5°, says Dewar. That's steeper than London City's 5.5° approach, he adds.

Following those trials, the Canadian airframer flew its second flight-test vehicle (C-GWYD), a CS100 variant, to London Stansted airport on 21 March.

The aircraft landed for the first time at London City on 22 March, completing four validation and demonstration tests that day and four on 23 March, the company says.

"The aircraft performance is either on spec, or in many cases better," says Dewar. "We will actually be able to do more than we said."

Next, authorities will review Bombardier's test data, Dewar says.

The company need approvals from Transport Canada, the European Aviation Safety Agency and Switzerland's Federal Office of Civil Aviation, according to Dewar. Pilots must also complete London City-specific training.

Bombardier designed the CSeries specifically for operation at London City, Dewar says. For instance, engineers tailored the aircraft's wing and flight control laws with London City's operating requirements in mind, he adds.

"The CSeries was the only aircraft that was conceived from the very beginning and designed specifically to operate from London City," he says. "Once we can do London City, we can do any other challenging airport."

In a two-class configuration, a CS100 will have a range of 2,200nm from London City, allowing flights to cities as distant as Moscow or Reykjavik, Dewar says.

In 40-passenger all-business-class configurations, CS100s can reach North America from London City, he adds. Odyssey Airlines and PrivatAir have both ordered all-business-class CS100s.

"This is the largest aircraft that can fly the most payload the longest distance out of London City airport," says Dewar.

Ten airlines currently serve London City: Aurigny Air Services, Alitalia, British Airways, CityJet, Flybe, KLM, Lufthansa, Luxair, SkyWork Airlines and Swiss, FlightGlobal schedules data show.

They fly routes from the airport to some 40 destinations in eastern and central Europe using ATR 42s and 72s, Avro RJ85s and RJ100s, Bombardier Q400s, Embraer 170s, E190s and E195s, Fairchild Dornier 328s and Saab 2000s, schedules show.

Ten carriers currently connect London City to about 35 European destinations

Despite a delivery pause in early 2017, Bombardier remains on track to meet a goal of 30 to 35 CSeries deliveries in 2017, Dewar says.

The company delivered the first aircraft of the year, a CS100 to Swiss, earlier in March, and expects to deliver another aircraft next week and third the following week, Dewar says.

He adds that Pratt & Whitney, which has suffered delays in delivery of the CSeries' PW1500G geared turbofans, remains on track to meet a revised delivery forecast.

P&W has set a goal of delivering 350-400 geared turbofans in 2017.

The engine maker's GTF production had been slowed by a shortage of parts, including hybrid metallic fan blades, but P&W has said new blade factories in Japan and Michigan will help eliminate the parts shortage.

[andypspotter]