Bombardier (BBA, Montréal Trudeau) is in talks with jetBlue Airways (B6, New York JFK) and Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) over its C-Series range of aircraft sources who spoke to Bloomberg news on condition of anonymity have disclosed.
According to the report, discussions are continuing, and no decision has yet been reached. The disclosure comes after Bombardier spokeswoman Marianella de la Barrera confirmed to Reuters earlier this month that talks with several North American operators were currently ongoing.
"We are in some pretty advanced discussions," de la Barrera said. "Our senior leaders are engaged."
While de la Barrera did not at the time reveal whom the Canadian manufacturer was talking to, sources later indicated pitches had been made to Southwest Airlines (WN, Dallas Love Field) as well as the American Airlines Group.
Republic Airlines (YX, Indianapolis Int'l) parent Republic Airways Holdings Inc is the C-Series' only North American customer at the moment though that order - placed in 2010 for forty firm CS300s with options for an additional forty - is in doubt. Republic had planned to use the aircraft to re-equip its then subsidiary Frontier Airlines (F9, Denver Int'l), which was sold to private equity firm Indigo Partners in October 2013.
The long-delayed twinjet is nearing full certification ahead of the CS100's planned commercial debut with Swiss (LX, Zurich) early next year. According to Bombardier, the only remaining checks are function and reliability test flights which will be conducted using typical airline flight routings and operational procedures involving about fifteen representative airports in Canada and twenty in the United States.
“The tremendous discipline and efforts of our employees, suppliers and customers will be on display over the next few weeks as the CS100 aircraft takes to operating on a commercial airline-type schedule from key airports in North America. This function and reliability testing will include airfield performance; landings and airport turnarounds; and on-ground operations – all to ready the CS100 aircraft for operation with Swiss in the first half of 2016,” Rob Dewar, Vice President, C Series Aircraft Program, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, said.
In a bid to boost the aircraft's appeal, Bombardier announced earlier this year that the C-Series aircraft's maximum range had been confirmed to be up to 6,112km, some 648km more than originally targeted.
