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On the Record with
BOB HORNER, EUROPEAN REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT, BOMBARDIER BUSINESS
AIRCRAFT
Skip Farnborough Show? Not on Your Life
"Any show gives a customer a little more impetus to do something,"
says Bob Horner, regional vp and European sales chief for Bombardier
Business Aircraft.
That's why Bombardier is here with no fewer than three new aircraft—the
Global 5000, the Challenger 300, and the Learjet 40—despite
have made a major push at EBACE, the European business aviation
extravaganza in Geneva less than two months ago.
"It's a show where principals will attend," he says of EBACE.
"As at Farnborough. "
The Global 5000, an alternative to the Global Express—it's
8.1 million ($10 million) cheaper—is here with the first
production interior. The aircraft got its Canadian type certificate
earlier this year as well as its Certificate of Airworthiness (this
month), European certification is imminent, and the U.S. nod is
expected later this year. It's not an ultra-long-range jet like
the Global Express, but can easily reach the eastern U.S. from Europe,
and, from England, the central U.S. as well.
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A New Reputability in Europe
Europeans shun business aircraft because of the perception
that they are frivolous perks, right?
Perhaps not anymore.
"We're seeing people move away from a perception that a business
aircraft is perhaps something they shouldn't advertise or
discuss," says Bombardier regional boss Bob Horner.
And while he admits it's clichéd, he says executives
in Europe are less afraid than they were to proclaim a business
aircraft to be a real productivity tool.
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The Challenger 300, Horner says, has "almost a Challenger [604]
cabin," and "appeals across the board," including the charter market.
It can fly eight passengers 3,000 nmi, making it a capable transatlantic
craft as well as a true transcontinental jet in North America. Its
range also allows multi-destination missions in a single day.
"The Learjet 40 has done extremely well in Europe," Horner says.
"It was designed to replace the 31A with a platform that would take
six passengers longer range. And that naturally appeals to the European
market."
As for business in general, "We went through a period where business
was very strong in Europe," Horner says of the immediate post-9/11
era. "We're now seeing it come back. The last three quarters have
seen quite a growth in orders."
"We've got a number of areas in the marketplace that are all spiking
up and are gaining momentum at the same time."
"The charter market is up in Europe," Horner says. "Therefore the
charter market needs more platforms. It's right across the broad.
We're seeing it across all product groups. We're right where we
thought we would be, in fact we're pleasantly surprised with the
firm orders that we're taking."
As for Farnborough 2004, "The opportunity to have three new airplanes
in one place at the same time," Horner says, "to demonstrate them
to customers, is a great opportunity for us…to target individual
customers (including those who may not yet have seen the airplane
they bought, particularly the Global 5000, here with a real interior
for the first time)," and prospects, Horner says, "Of course prospects."
"We support the shows and we're going to continue to do that."
Bombardier Aerospace is in Chalet C1-3.
—Rich Piellisch
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