Bombardier’s latest addition to the Challenger 300/350 family—the 3500—remains on pace for delivery during this quarter with all the pertinent certifications in hand, president and CEO Eric Martel announced today.
While reporting second-quarter results, Martel said Bombardier received the key autothrottle approvals, including both from Transport Canada and the U.S. FAA, in the second quarter. Later, he further noted the jet has also received approvals for its seats and that the company “pretty much [has] everything in hand with certification.”
While not detailing specifics on delivery plans for this year, he said the aircraft is a component in its guidance of more than 120 unit shipments this year (the company has delivered 55 through the first half of 2022).
Martel also noted that the super-midsize jet is a factor in its target of ramping up production by 15 percent to 20 percent next year and said it has been well received by the market. “We are extremely happy with how things are shaping up [with the 3500 program],” he said.
Deliveries would come a year after Bombardier unveiled the model with a new look and branding that brought the Challenger in line with the Global nomenclature. The addition of the Safe Flight autothrottle system and its Nuage seats—first introduced in the Global 7500 and later in the Global 5500 and 6500—are key features in the newest member of the Challenger family.
The Challenger 3500 contains a number of new interior attributes such as wireless charging and has been the first in the super-midsize category to have a published environmental product declaration tracing its sustainability throughout the aircraft’s lifecycle.
