Bombardier to Obtain Q400 Certification for London City
Airport
PARIS, FRANCE-- JUNE 18, 2001 - 05:28 EDT
Anticipated JAA Steep Approach Certification Will Expand Q400
Market
Bombardier Aerospace, in cooperation with the European Joint
Airworthiness Authorities (JAA) and its member countries, are in
the process of certifying the high-speed, 68-to-78 passenger
Bombardier Q400* turboprop for steep approach operations at London
City Airport (LCY). JAA approval will permit airlines to operate
the Bombardier Q400 between this unique urban airport and
important business centres throughout the United Kingdom and
western Europe.
"The steep approach program is further evidence of Bombardier's
commitment to the Bombardier Q400 program and to our airline
customers who recognize the value the Bombardier Q400 will provide
from London City," said Bombardier Regional Aircraft president
Steven Ridolfi. "The Bombardier Q400 flies at a jet-like 360
knots, but burns about 40% less fuel than a similar size jet. It
requires far fewer passengers to break even, making new routes
from London City to secondary European cities viable for the first
time," he said.
London City's uniquely steep approach angle of 5.5 degrees,
compared to 3 to 3.5 degrees at most commercial airports, is
required for local noise abatement and obstacle clearance. Any
aircraft serving this airport must achieve steep approach approval
before it can be eligible for use at LCY.
"With full payloads typical of London City traffic, the Bombardier
Q400 will easily serve markets up to 430 nautical miles from the
airport and provide commercially attractive operations out to 800
nautical miles to capture destinations such as Stockholm, Warsaw,
Budapest, Rome and Madrid amongst others," said Mr. Ridolfi.
Augsburg Airways of Germany and British European Airways, both
Bombardier Q400 customers, have expressed strong interest in using
the aircraft at LCY where they currently employ 37- and 50-seat
Bombardier Dash 8(R)s and Q200/300*s. The Bombardier Q400 will
provide increased capacity on existing routes, while also offering
opportunities to develop new destinations as well.
London City Airport serves business travelers in the financial
heart of London. It is built on the former Royal Docks next to
the Thames River, a few kilometres east of downtown London. The
airport handled 1.6 million passengers in 2000 with forecasts
suggesting traffic will increase to 3.5 million annual passengers
by 2010.
The existence of this unique urban airport is directly linked to
the innovative Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) research
conducted by Bombardier's de Havilland unit in the 1970s and
1980s. In fact, the first aircraft approved to operate into LCY
was the company's innovative 50-passenger Dash 7 airliner.
"Steep approach certification of the Bombardier Q400 will
facilitate operations into other small airports with similar
landing approach restrictions," said Mr. Ridolfi. "In Europe,
this would include Florence, Lugano and Stockholm-Bromma
airports."
Bombardier's Q400 steep approach procedure also results in reduced
landing distances when applied at conventional airports,
permitting increased payloads and reduced maintenance costs for
airlines.
Following more than 30 hours of flying and 130 approaches,
Transport Canada and Bombardier testing has confirmed the
performance and handling capabilities of the Bombardier Q400 at
London City's challenging 5.5 degree approach angle. Transport
Canada's approval of the resulting flight manual supplement is
expected in July 2001, with JAA approval expected in the third
quarter of 2001.
The trials have been carried out at a number of locations by the
Bombardier Flight Test Center personnel including a brief visit to
London City in March this year. The LCY trials included a number
of approaches and full stop landings, as well as ground handling
and manoeuvring.
With two 5,071shp Pratt & Whitney PW150A driving large, slow
turning, six bladed Dowty R408 propellers, the Bombardier Q400 has
more than enough power, combined with excellent low speed handling
characteristics, to easily cope with the 5.5 degree approach and
the transition to land on the short 1,199m runway. It will also
be an extremely good neighbor, with low noise and emission levels.
With the performance and handling phase of the flight test program
essentially complete, development work is now focused on minor
configuration changes to the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and
Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) to facilitate the
steep approach angle.
A total of 110 Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft have been
ordered and optioned by seven airlines - 77 of these by five
European carriers: Augsburg Airways of Germany; British European;
SAS Commuter; Tyrolean Airways of Austria; and Wideroe of Norway.
The Bombardier Q400 is also in service with Horizon Air of the
United States and Changan Airlines of China.
Bombardier Aerospace, a unit of Bombardier Inc., is a world leader
in the design, and manufacture of innovative aviation products and
services for the regional, business and amphibious aircraft
markets. It also offers Bombardier Flexjet(R) fractional
ownership, aircraft charter and management, technical services,
aircraft maintenance and pilot training for business, regional
airline and military customers.
Bombardier Inc., a diversified manufacturing and service company,
is a world leading manufacturer of business jets, regional
aircraft, rail transportation equipment and motorized recreational
products. It is also a provider of financial services and asset
management. The Corporation employs 79,000 people in 24 countries
in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Bombardier's revenues
for its fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2001 totalled $16.1 billion and
more than 90% were generated outside Canada.
(R) Registered trademark of Bombardier Inc.
* Trademark of Bombardier Inc.
Note to Editors:
Illustration of the Bombardier Q400 during recent demonstration
flights at London City Centre airport are available in the "News
Release Photo" section of the Bombardier website Media Centre
Multimedia Library at: aero.bombardier.com |
