National Business Aviation Association: Bombardier Global
Express Performs Flawlessly as it Travels the World in
Active Service-First Operators Praise Non-Stop Range,Reliability and Comfort
OCTOBER 13, 1999
ATLANTA, GEORGIA--The first group of Bombardier Global Express(R)
ultra long-range business jet aircraft to enter service are
already criss-crossing the globe on business missions and
providing near flawless performance to their operators.
Three aircraft are currently in service and another two are poised
to join them within the next few weeks. A total of 22 aircraft
are currently being equipped with customized interiors at
Bombardier completion facilities in Montreal and Tucson, Ariz.. To
date, Bombardier has received 105 firm orders for the aircraft.
The three aircraft have flown some 325 hours during flights,
posting a dispatch reliability of 99.84 per cent.
The first Global Express to enter service - S/N 9006, delivered to
AirFlite in July has already chalked up more than 185 hours of
flight time on more than 50 flights. It also achieved close to
100 per cent dispatch reliability record during round-trip
missions from California to Japan.
"AirFlite pilots have been excited about the performance of the
airplane, which has met all of its flight plan performance
targets," commented Bombardier Aerospace production pilot Peter
Boyd, who has been providing flight operations support for Global Express 9006.
AirFlite, based in Long Beach, Calif., is operating the Global
Express on behalf of its parent company, Toyota Motor Sales, USA
of Torrance, Calif. In the initial weeks of operation, it had
flown Toyota executives on round-trip trans-Pacific flights and on
a major mission from California to Japan, Europe and Australia.
"The customer's favorite features about the aircraft are its
non-stop range and reliability, spacious cockpit and cabin, low
noise levels and high degree of environmental comfort," noted Mr.
Boyd, who accompanied AirFlite on several of the missions.
AirFlite's director of flight operations reported a time savings
of three hours during the Long Beach to Tokyo flight compared with
their previous airplane, he added. "Despite a 10-hour, non-stop
flight, the passengers arrived at their destination rested and
ready to conduct business."
As Bombardier continues delivery of Global Express aircraft into
service, it is guaranteeing a level of support unprecedented for
ultra long-range business jets. In addition to the usual delivery
preparation team at the delivery centre, each aircraft is being
accompanied by a special, in-service team composed of a field
service representative, a maintenance technician and a pilot.
These teams will assist operators in placing the Global Express
into routine service and are prepared to remain with the customer
during initial operations.
The Global Express, developed with international partners in a
unique risk-sharing arrangement, offers numerous advantages over
competing aircraft in its category and sets new standards in business aviation.
Designed from a clean sheet of paper, the Global Express is the
only aircraft intended specifically to meet the changing transport
needs of corporate and government leaders in the 21st century. It
offers the longest non-stop range in corporate aviation, flying
eight passengers and a four-person crew 6,500 nautical miles
(12,038 km) non-stop and has a top cruise speed that reaches
nearly the speed of sound (Mach .88).
It also offers the largest and most productive cabin of any true
corporate aircraft, with a total length of 48 feet 4 inches (14.72
m) and width of 8 feet 2 inches (2.49 m).
Bombardier Aerospace, a unit of Bombardier Inc., is the world's
third largest civil aircraft manufacturer with operations in three
countries. Leading the 20- to 70-passenger regional carrier
market, Bombardier Aerospace offers complete families of turboprop
and regional jet aircraft. It has the industry's widest range of
business jets, offering both full and fractional ownership, and
also produces firefighting/maritime mission aircraft. It provides
technical services, aircraft maintenance and pilot training to
business, regional airline and military customers.
Bombardier Inc. is a Canadian corporation active in the fields of
aerospace, rail transportation equipment, recreational products
and financial services. It operates plants in 12 countries in
North America, Europe and Asia, and more than 90 per cent of its
revenues are generated outside Canada. Bombardier's revenues for
its fiscal year ended January 31, 1999 totalled $11.5 billion (Cdn). |
