Bombardier's new CSeries aircraft is on schedule to make its maiden flight by year-end, the Quebec-based plane and train maker said Tuesday.
"Yes, the CSeries program is on track," said Mike Arcamone, president of commercial aircraft, adding that Bombardier has found no serious problems that would prevent delivery of the first CSeries aircraft by the end of 2013.
Arcamone also said he's satisfied with orders to date.
"We are exactly where we want to be with 11 customers and 317 orders," he said.
Bombardier expects the structures for the first plane will be completed by September to meet the timing for the first flight.
Bob Saia of Pratt & Whitney added that the new geared turbofan engine is on track for final validation by Transport Canada in the next three to four months. The engine has already undergone about 1,500 hours of testing.
Assembly for the Bombardier engine will be completed in Mirabel, north of Montreal. But Saia said Pratt hasn't yet decided where to assemble the engine for the Airbus A320/A319 NEO.
Earlier, Bombardier said it was decreasing its 20-year industry forecast for deliveries of small- and medium-size commercial aircraft due to the global economic slowdown.
The world's third-largest aircraft manufacturer expects deliveries in the 20- to 149-seat category will fall by 2.3 per cent to 12,800 planes, worth $630 billion (U.S.).
The main driver behind the decrease of 300 units is reduced growth in global gross domestic product, Bombardier said.
The Quebec-based manufacturer said more than 70 per cent of the demand in the next two decades is expected to come in the 100- to 149-seat category, which includes Bombardier's CSeries.
Deliveries of those aircraft are expected to be worth $449 billion (U.S.) between 2012 to 2031, with demand increasingly shifting to emerging markets.
Still, Bombardier believes it will capture half of the available 100- to 149-seat market.
Copyright 2012 Toronto Star Newspapers Limited
