From left to right:
Barry MacKinnon-VP,
Marketing & Airline
Analysis,
Bombardier Regional
Aircraft,
Zhao Yansong-VP,
China Aviation Supplies
and Yu Haitian-VP,
Shandong Airlines
  
 
Another milestone for Bombardier's CRJ October 2003


Bombardier Aerospace's CRJ700 will be the first 70-seat regional jet in the Asia/Pacific region when Shandong Airlines of The People's Republic of China begins CRJ700 operations later this year. The airline, based at Jinan in Shandong Province, took delivery of two of the aircraft on October 31, 2003.

"We believe the CRJ700, with its low seat-mile costs, will help us achieve our financial objectives," said Shandong Airlines vice-president Yu Haitian at the delivery ceremony at Mirabel, Quebec.

Shandong operates 10 50-passenger CRJ200 regional jets, five of which were acquired from Bombardier and five of which are leased from General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS).

Steven A. Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Aerospace, Regional Aircraft noted that the 113 CRJ700 aircraft operating throughout North America and Europe had demonstrated excellent seat-mile economics, long range and proven performance. "We are confident that the CRJ will continue this standard for regional jets in the expanding Asia/Pacific marketplace," he added.

China's favored partner

Bombardier Aerospace is the largest supplier of regional aircraft to the Chinese market, with 28 CRJ and three Q400 70-seat turboprop airliners in service. China Eastern Yunnan Airlines of Kunming has six CRJ200 aircraft; Shandong has the aforementioned 10 CRJ200 and two CRJ700 jets; China United Airlines and China Ocean Aviation, both of Beijing, operate seven Bombardier Challenger 800 aircraft, which are corporate versions of the CRJ200; and Chang An Airlines (Hainan Group) has the three Q400 aircraft.

Bombardier Aerospace is also a partner with Shandong Airlines in China's first regional jet training facility, Qingdao Fei Sheng International Aviation Technology Development Corporation Ltd. (QFS) in Qingdao. The facility opened in April 2002 and is equipped with a CAE Inc. CRJ200 Level "D" full flight simulator. Bombardier Aerospace also operates a spare parts depot in Beijing for regional aircraft operators.