Bombardier’s Bizjet Unit Off To Good Start in 2018

The mix of business jets delivered in the first three months was more favorable compared with the same period last year. Bombardier handed over three Learjet 70/75s, 12 Challenger 350s, six Challenger 605s, and 10 Global 5000/6000s. This compares with five Learjets, nine 350s, six 650s, and eight Globals in last year`s first quarter. Even with this increase in deliveries, backlog still inched up to $14.3 billion at the end of March, up from $14.2 billion a year earlier.   Meanwhile, the company is gearing up to begin deliveries of its flagship Global 7000 by year-end, with "a few" expected to be handed over to customers this year, Bombardier Inc. president and CEO Alain Bellemare said today during the company`s first-quarter investor call. Next year, it plans to hand over some 20 of the new Globals before ramping up to a rate of about 40 per year by 2021. Bellemare added that production slots for the Global 7000 are sold out through 2021.   FONTE: AINonline by Chad Trautvetter  (Photo: Bombardier Aerospace)