Bombardier delivered 116 business aircraft during the first half of 2000, a 38% increase over the 84 business jets the company delivered during the same period last year.

The company delivered a total of 173 business aircraft of all types in 1999, and is likely to break the 200-delivery milestone this year. "We've got a strong backlog across the entire family," said Rob Gillespie, president of Bombardier's business aircraft unit.
The breakdown for Bombardier's first half deliveries is as follows, comparing this year with last by aircraft type:

First Half 2000 First Half 1999
Learjet 31A 16 11
Learjet 45 44 17
Learjet 60 18 18
Continental 0 0
CRJ
Challenger 604 22 23
Global Express 16 15
Total 116 84

Flexjet, the company's fractional ownership program, is expected to add 40 aircraft this year, for a total of 120 by year-end. Flexjet recently took delivery of its first Learjet 45, and 15 more are slated to join the program in the coming months.

Assembly of the first Continental business jet is on track for September, Bombardier says, and 97% of the parts for the first aircraft have been delivered to the company's Wichita, Kansas plant.

"The Continental is no longer a paper airplane," Gillespie adds. "The progress we've made on it reflects all the lessons we've learned from our other programs"

Rollout of the Continental is planned for next spring, with the first flight following over the summer. FAA certification is anticipated in December 2002, with service entry following in the spring.

By Paul Richfield