Amid the fanfare that came with securing commitments from the Canadian, Quebec and UK governments to contribute some $700 million to its proposed C Series, Bombardier absorbed a pair of punishing blows from the two contenders for providing the project’s engine. CFM and IAE ended talks with the company last month after deciding the project didn’t justify the investment needed to develop an all-new engine.

During an RAA press briefing GE Aircraft Engines general manager of marketing Ron Hutter said that its contract with CFM partner Snecma prevents it from building an engine in the thrust range needed for the C Series, leaving Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce as the remaining possibilities. Pratt & Whitney reportedly wants to offer a derivative of its new PW6000, designed to power a version of the Airbus A318.

During an interview with AIN last year, Bombardier Commercial Airplanes president Gary Scott said the engine cannot meet Bombardier’s requirement for half of the C Series’ 15-percent operating cost benefit. Meanwhile, the most powerful version of the Rolls-Royce Deutschland BR715 doesn’t generate enough thrust to power the C Series’ 130-seat version.