Bombardier Opens New CRJ and Q Series Heavy Maintenance
Base in Tucson
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(MARCH 30, 2004 - 17:14 ET)
Facility Offers Bombardier's U.S. Regional Airline Customers
Lowest Downtime, Lowest Cost for Heavy Maintenance
Bombardier Aerospace today officially opened a heavy maintenance
facility for CRJ(i) and Q Series(i) aircraft in Tucson, Arizona.
Bombardier Regional Aircraft Services - Tucson is modeled after
Bombardier's other heavy maintenance facility, West Virginia Air
Center (WVAC) at Bridgeport, West Virginia, and uses the same
systems and processes that have earned WVAC several Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) awards for excellence.
Aimed primarily at U.S.-based regional airline operators, the
131,000-square-foot (3 710 sq. m.) building can handle as many as
10 regional aircraft at one time. The facility is a Federal
Aviation Administration Part 145 Certified Repair Station. The
first aircraft into the facility was a Bombardier CRJ900(i)
operated by Mesa Air Group.
The Bombardier Regional Aircraft Services - Tucson facility is
located at the Tucson International Airport, on the site of the
Bombardier business aircraft completion center. The facility
offers heavy maintenance and modifications, structural repairs,
component repair and overhaul, avionics, fabrication, welding,
non-destructive testing and a machine shop.
"We are supporting our Bombardier CRJ and Q Series operators,
primarily those in the western U.S., by providing additional
heavy maintenance capacity in Tucson," said Jeff Mihalic,
Vice-President and General Manager, Customer Services, Bombardier
Aerospace, Regional Aircraft. "We offer the lowest maintenance
span time, meaning more aircraft availability for revenue
service, and at a predictable and lower total cost.
"Our span time performance - the amount of time the airplane is
down for heavy maintenance - is unmatched over the long term,"
Mr. Mihalic explained. "Over a 10-year period, for example, a
CRJ200 will require 2,000 fewer maintenance manhours than its
competitor, resulting in an additional 40 days of flying time,
earning revenue.
"Our fixed price and guaranteed span time motivate us to contain
non-routine task manhours, and prevent unnecessary increases to
the scope of work keeping us aligned with customer expectations,"
Mr. Mihalic said.
Bombardier Regional Aircraft Services - Tucson facility begins
operations with 58 employees. Employment is expected to reach 300
technicians when the facility reaches full capacity.
About Bombardier
A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation
solutions, from regional aircraft and business jets to rail
transportation equipment, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation
headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended
Jan. 31, 2004, were $21.3 billion Cdn and its shares are traded
on the Toronto, Brussels and Frankfurt stock exchanges (BBD, BOM
and BBDd.F). News and information are available at
www.bombardier.com.
(i)Trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. |
