Bombardier CSeries Flies, but Questions Remain

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at 08:58 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Bombardier's CSeries regional jetliner successfully completed its first flight, a key milestone for a program that has faced slow sales, rising costs, and multiple delays.
The $3.4 billion project is significantly behind its sales target with only 177 orders, falling short of the hoped-for 300 at this stage.
The CSeries now enters an ambitious 12-month certification program and aims for commercial service next year, preparing to compete directly with aircraft from Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer.

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Bombardier’s CSeries regional jetliner made its long-awaited first flight on Monday in Montreal, kicking off a development program that has been marred by questions about slow sales and rising costs.

The cost estimate for the all-composite jet, which will seat as many as 160 passengers, is $3.4 billion, according to Bombardier. The Canadian manufacturer has 177 orders for the CSeries, well short of the 300 it hoped to have in hand by this stage.