Lufthansa Technik to Complete 17 Challenger 850s, and Perhaps More
Lufthansa Technik will complete the interiors and painting
of at least 17 Bombardier Challenger 850 business jets over the next three
years at its Hamburg facility under an agreement signed here at NBAA.
The agreement marks the first time a North American business
aircraft manufacturer has entrusted an entire program of completions to an
overseas company. It also marks an extension of Lufthansa Technik's
capabilities to smaller-size business aircraft.
The jets will be delivered with interiors based on two
standardized floor plans, certified to 16G standards, and within what is
claimed to be an industry-leading 26-week cycle. "The addition of the
Challenger 850 business jet translates to a significant upgrade of our product
portfolio," said Bernhard Conrad, svp for the completion center and head of
approved design organization at Lufthansa Technik. Challenger 850 aircraft
operators will also have the option of adding up to two additional fuel tanks,
resulting in a range of more than 3,100 nmi with five passengers.
Lufthansa Technik has started the completion of the first
Challenger 850 corporate aircraft, which arrived in September from Montreal. It
expects to do six or seven aircraft a year, and is ready to crank up production
to complete more if there is the demand, Conrad said.
The Challenger 850 is an executive version of the CRJ200
regional airliner. Although production of the CRJ has now been halted at
Bombardier, the corporate version will continue to be produced, according to
Pierre Beaudoin, president and CEO of
Bombardier Aerospace.
