Bombardier Sells CRJ700 Aircraft to Shandong Airlines of
China
First 70-seat regional jet sale in Asia-Pacific region
TORONTO, ONTARIO--SEPTEMBER 6, 2002 - 16:44 EDT
Bombardier Aerospace announced today that
Shandong Airlines of The People's Republic of China has signed a
contract to purchase two 70-seat Bombardier CRJ700* regional jets.
The airline will be the first Bombardier CRJ700 operator in China
and in the Asia-Pacific region.
Deliveries are scheduled for the third and fourth quarter of 2003.
Shandong Airlines, based at Jinan in Shandong Province, currently
operates eight 50-passenger Bombardier CRJ200* regional jets, five
of which were acquired from Bombardier and three of which were
leased from General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS).
"The Bombardier CRJ700 operating side by side with our Bombardier
CRJ200 aircraft on our regional routes will contribute to, and
enhance our market share, which has been steadily growing," said
Jia Fu Wen, chairman, Shandong Airlines.
"This order is a strong vote of confidence by Shandong Airlines in
the Bombardier CRJ700 as a major contributor to the airline's
business objectives," said John Giraudy, president, Bombardier
Regional Aircraft. "We are delighted that an airline of Shandong's
stature and excellence has chosen the Bombardier CRJ700 to meet
its requirements for a larger capacity regional jet.
"The Bombardier CRJ700 is the ideal aircraft in the large
potential market for regional aircraft in the Asia-Pacific
region," Mr. Giraudy added. "With its excellent seat-mile
operating economics, long range and successful and proven
heritage, we are confident that the Bombardier CRJ700 will be
extremely popular with airlines in Asia."
Bombardier Aerospace has made significant investments in China to
better support its regional aircraft products.
Shandong Airlines and Bombardier Inc. subsidiary, Bombardier
Mauritius Ltd., jointly own and operate China's first regional jet
training facility, Qingdao Fei Sheng International Aviation
Technology Development Corporation Ltd. (QFS) in Qingdao, which
opened in April 2002 and is equipped with a CAE Inc. CRJ200 Level
"D" full flight simulator. In September 2000, Bombardier
Aerospace opened a new spare parts depot in Beijing for regional
aircraft customers.
Chinese airlines and corporations have ordered a total of 29
Bombardier CRJ Series regional jets and Q Series turboprop
aircraft, 25 of which have been delivered, confirming Bombardier's
regional aircraft leadership.
Bombardier Aerospace, a unit of Bombardier Inc., is a world leader
in the design, and manufacture of innovative aviation products and
provides 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 services company,
is a world-leading manufacturer of business jets, regional
aircraft, rail transportation equipment and motorized recreational
products. It also provides financial services and asset management
in business areas aligned with its core expertise. Headquartered
in Montreal, Canada, the Corporation has a workforce of some
80,000 people in 24 countries throughout the Americas, Europe and
Asia-Pacific. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2002
stood at $21.6 billion Cdn. Bombardier trades on the Toronto,
Brussels and Frankfurt stock exchanges (BBD, BOM and BBDd.F).
(R) Registered trademarks of Bombardier Inc.
* Trademarks of Bombardier Inc. |
