Story ID: GPcseries11072012
CSeries Delayed Six Months
By: Gregory Polek
Caption: 
Word Count: 189
Bombardier’s new CSeries CS100 will not fly until at least the end of next June, roughly six months later than the most recent target, according to the latest schedule published by the Canadian airframe maker. If all goes according to the latest plans, the smaller of the two-member narrowbody family will consequently enter service in the middle of 2014.

The timeline for the larger of the pair—the CS300—remains unchanged, it added, meaning it still expects that airplane to enter service by the end of 2014.

“Since the beginning of the year, substantial headway has been made in the CSeries development program and testing is progressing well,” said Bombardier president and CEO Pierre Beaudoin in a statement issued Wednesday morning. “We have used the momentum gained over the last few months to meet a number of key milestones; however, some areas require more time. Together with our suppliers, we have now fully harmonized all commitments to the program's schedule. Therefore, the CS100 aircraft’s first flight will now occur by the end of June 2013—a timeline that all parties have agreed is achievable.”