Aircraft
Bombardier Sees Return to Prominence for its Regional Lineup
With C Series under Airbus control, company redoubles efforts to market CRJ, Q400
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft president Fred Cromer predicts the CRJ900 will regain at least 50 percent of the market for 76-seat category regional jets. (Photo: Bombardier)
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft president Fred Cromer predicts the CRJ900 will regain at least 50 percent of the market for 76-seat category regional jets. (Photo: Bombardier)

Now that Airbus has assumed effective control of Bombardier’s resource-consuming C Series program, the Canadian manufacturer sees a grand opportunity to re-focus its efforts and investment on what, to many, had become an almost forgotten segment of its portfolio. In fact, the Bombardier CRJ regional jets have enjoyed something of a sales renaissance, most recently evidenced by Delta Air Line’s firm order this month for 20 CRJ900s and American Airlines’ order in May for 15. The orders effectively doubled Bombardier’s CRJ sales backlog, which stood at just 36 on March 31.