Bombardier Pushing CSeries In North America

October 9, 2015

Bombardier said it is in advanced discussions to sell its new CSeries jet to airlines in North America, without identifying the prospective buyers.

Montreal-based Bombardier has redoubled efforts to win a landmark order for the CSeries after failing to sell the programme to Airbus, and is pitching the jets to airlines in North America, said two people familiar with the matter.

The people said Bombardier was pitching Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, as well as similar airlines. One person said Bombardier was also pushing to sell the jets in China.

"We are in some pretty advanced discussions," said a Bombardier spokeswoman. "Our senior leaders are engaged."

Air Canada is seen by many as an obvious potential customer for the CSeries. The company declined to comment on Friday. American Airlines also declined to comment.

"We have nothing in the works that would have our customers expecting to see anything but a Boeing bird when they walk up to a Southwest gate," said a Southwest spokesman.

A new order from a major US airline would help restore confidence in the CSeries, which has not won a new firm order in more than a year.

Bombardier may need to offer steep discounts to lure mainline carriers from Airbus and Boeing, which have deep relationships with those airlines, and have also cut prices to protect their market share.

Talks between Airbus and Bombardier ended abruptly on Tuesday after reports of the discussions became public.

(Reuters)