Could the Bombardier C Series be a VIP private airliner?
Aviation giant Bombardier is facing some difficult economic decisions, most recently announcing job cuts to a tenth of its global workforce. This will impact its plants worldwide, including Northern Ireland and Germany, as well as on its home turf of Canada.
But there was, seemingly, some good news for the Bombardier in the mix too last week – a major government-backed order for its C Series airliner. Air Canada have purchased 45 C Series aircraft, as well as the option to acquire 30 more later on.
But this order comes after delays in development and design of the C Series aircraft in Quebec – and there is strong competition out there. So Bombardier is facing a difficult marketing challenge.
While the company has been focussed on making the C Series stand out from its rivals with a range of single-aisle aircraft, Boeing and Airbus have continued to expand and innovate – including their VIP airliner conversions for the business aviation market.
The C Series aircraft is directly comparable to the Airbus A319 and the Boeing 737; two airliners that can be converted for business aviation and luxury private use. The ACJ319 (or Airbus Corporate Jet 319) can be transformed into a cabin space for VIP passenger groups or as a VVIP cabin, resembling a luxury apartment or hotel room (bedroom and dining room included).
Boeing offer a similar option for its 737 (and other airliner frames), with the well-known Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), often referred to as the ultimate luxury private jet.
With this in mind, we wondered how the C Series would perform as a VIP private jet conversion?
HOW WOULD THE C SERIES JET LOOK?
The Bombardier C Series has a capacity of 100 to 150 seats, similar to the A319, meaning it could have similar configuration options – with a cabin that could accommodate 19 passengers (the same as the typical ACJ319).
Cabins of converted airliners are generally very luxurious. A C Series Jet would probably follow the examples of Bombardier’s long range jets, the Global family: A modern, comfortable and high-tech interior.
Additionally, the CS100 has a range of over 3,500 miles, which would allow travelers to use the VIP CS100 Jet to fly coast-to-coast (New York City to Los Angeles) or even medium range between Europe, the United Emirates and Russia.
The range of the CS300 is a bit longer (3,700 miles), which would allow passengers to use the VIP CS300 jet to cross the Atlantic, from New York to London.
However, Bombardier could follow Airbus’ lead with a change in configuration of the C Series interior, and replace some of the luggage capacity with an additional fuel tank – to give greater range. This would enable the CS300 jet to fly from Los Angeles to Paris without difficulty.
In addition, Bombardier ensures that the operating costs of the C Series are 15% lower than those of its competitors, which would make the CSeries Jet a more cost-effective option for business aviation operators and customers. It’s also expected to emit less noise and burn less fuel, making it a much more environmental choice compared to its competitors.
How would a CS100 Jet compare to a ACJ319?
The dimensions of the C Series and and Airbus ACJ319 are very similar, but the latter has a slightly larger and taller cabin, giving more space for passengers.
Both aircraft can reach an impressive maximum speed of Mach 0.82 (by comparison, the fastest jet in the world, the Citation X, can reach Mach 0.935). Read more: What is Mach?
The biggest difference between the two lies in the range of the two aircraft – the Airbus Corporate Jet considerably beats the CSeries. However, if Bombardier did decide to replace some of the luggage space with an additional fuel tank as outlined above, its range could approach that of the ACJ319.
This would create a CSeries Jet that would be a cost-effective alternative flight for private jet passengers, on both medium and long haul flights, and it could become an appealing option for VIP travellers.
While the C Series jet remains just an idea, there are plenty of other aircraft options for your next private charter. For a personalised quote or advice from our Flight Team, contact us or call (24 hours) +44 1747 642 777.
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