Bombardier Aerospace is here at the LABACE show with three aircraft from its business aircraft family, the Learjet 75, Challenger 350 and a Global 6000. The jets on display in São Paulo represent the Canadian manufacturers current flagship products at a time when it is reassessing the future of the new Learjet 85 and Global 7000/8000 as it struggles to deal with the fall-out from large cost overruns on its CSeries airliner development.

“LABACE is gaining momentum every year and once again we are proud to participate in full force with aircraft from our three product families,” commented Stephane Leroy, Bombardier’s regional v-p for Latin America. “Our customer base in the region is constantly expanding and Bombardier is in a strong position with the perfect product lineup to cater to the needs of our customers in Latin America.”

With a range of more than 2,000 nm, the Learjet 75 can comfortably fly four passengers and two crew from São Paulo to Santiago, Chile; The Challenger 350 can connect São Paulo with Panama as it has a 3,200 nm range. The Global 6000 can fly transatlantic from São Paulo to Lisbon, Portugal with eight passengers (with a maximum range with up to eight passengers of 6,000 nm).

Bombardier claims to be the market leader in Latin America with more than 1,900 aircraft in the region. Over the next 10 years, the company forecasts demand for over 850 business jet deliveries valued at $24 billion for the overall business aviation industry in Latin America. Its forecasters believe the region’s fleet will grow by three percent per annum.

Meanwhile. Last month Bombardier Aerospace said that it was conducting a “full review” of its new Global 7000 and 8000 programs, which are designed to add two new ultra-long range jets to its product range. The first flight-test example of the 7000 is being assembled but it looks likely that the timetable for certifying both aircraft could be delayed.

Earlier this year the company started to cut its workforce in Querétaro, Mexico, and Wichita, Kansas, but it stressed that each location remained a critical part of its activities, with Wichita housing Learjet 70 and 75 assembly, along with the Bombardier flight-test center and a service center. Querétaro, meanwhile, is providing aerostructures for Global aircraft. More recently the company started on an effort to raise $3 billion in fresh capital to help it to complete the CSeries and Global 7000/8000, partly by selling off part of Bombardier Transportation, its rail unit based in Germany.

The new Global jets were announced in 2010 with the aim of competing with the Gulfstream 650. Cruising at Mach 0.85, the Global 7000 will have a maximum range of 7,300 nm; the range of the slightly shorter Global 8000 will be 7,900 nm.

Both aircraft use the current Global 6000 fuselage but stretch it–the 7000 by 11 feet, 3 inches and the 8000 by two feet, three inches–and add bigger cabin windows extending higher up the sidewall.

The aircraft will feature fly-by-wire flight controls, a new thin high-speed wing, more fuel-efficient GE Passport engines (16,500 pounds of thrust each) and Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics.

Learjet 85 On Hold

In January 2015, Bombardier announced that it is halting the development of its largest Learjet model to date, the Learjet 85. The move resulted in a $1.4 billion pre-tax charge for the group’s fourth-quarter financial results and up to around 1,000 job losses.

Bombardier cited what it views as continued weakness in the light jet market as the reason for putting the program on hold. However, industry analysts Rolland Vincent (founder of JetNet IQ) and Richard Aboulafia (of the Teal Group) argued that rival aircraft such as Embraer’s Legacy 450 and 500, and Cessna’s new Citation Latitude, have seen encouraging sales. In their view, the program suspension is mainly due to the financial pressures caused by serious delays with the CSeries and it remains to be seen whether Bombardier will resume work on the new Learjet.

Stronger Support

In recognition of business aviation growth in Latin America, Bombardier has taken steps to boost its customer support infrastructure for the region. In March 2014, it opened a new business aircraft regional support office in Toluca, Mexico, three years after opening an RSO in São Paulo to service Brazilian operators. Both RSOs are staffed by field service representatives, customer support account managers, customer liaison pilots and office managers.

Latin American customers can obtain maintenance services from Bombardier’s network of authorized service centers in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Monterrey and Toluca (Mexico) and San Jose dos Campos (Brazil). The manufacturer has its own service centers throughout North America with locations in Dallas (Texas), Fort Lauderdale (Florida), Battle Creek (Michigan), Lincoln (Nebraska) and Augusta (Georgia).