MEASURING THE BOTTOM LINE

Posted on 07/15/2016

Canadian manufacturer Bombardier introduced the CS100 at the Farnborough International Airshow this week. It is being described as the first narrow body airliner designed from scratch in nearly 30 years, and being touted as "the world's newest, innovative and most technologically advanced aircraft." But the appeal to the flying public may be in the wider middle seat.

The aircraft promises “wider aisles, larger luggage bins, and the "largest windows in the single-aisle (aircraft) market." The company boasts "unparalleled level of comfort" and they’re putting their money where the seat is, with a competitive 48.26 cm (19”) middle seat.
Ross Mitchell, Bombardier's vice-president of commercial operations said, "We went to airlines and asked them what the appropriate sizes were. They said 18-19 inches because it gives people more room in the seat. Airlines were looking to have an option with more comfort."
The reality is that more seat space is not a luxury, but in fact a necessity with the average size of airline passengers increasing over the past decades.
Bombardier believes airlines will order around 7000 aircraft in the C-Series size category over 20 years.
In more good news, Transportation Canada awarded the larger CS300 type certification this week.
The first of the CSeries was ordered by Swiss International Air Lines, which got delivery in June. Today the 125-seat aircraft is making its maiden commercial flight from Zurich to Paris-Charles de Gaulle.