New SWISS aircraft publicly unveiled

Canada-based manufacturer Bombardier presented its new CS100 aircraft to the public today. SWISS, as part of the Lufthansa Group, was the first airline customer to order Bombardier’s new CSeries aircraft family, and will be taking deliveries of the CS100 to gradually replace its current Avro RJ100 fleet.

The first CS100 flight test vehicle (FTV1) was unveiled to partners, the media and analysts at the manufacturer’s Mirabel plant in Québec today. The event offered a first opportunity for attendees to appreciate the full look and dimensions of the new aircraft. The CS100 aircraft is expected to make its first flight later this year.

SWISS will operate thirty CS100 aircraft ordered by parent-company Lufthansa, and twenty of these aircraft will replace the carrier’s current Avro RJ100 fleet. “We offer Bombardier our warmest congratulations on achieving this project milestone,” said Peter Wojahn, SWISS’s Chief Technical Officer, who was in attendance at the event. “We are greatly looking forward to receiving our CS100 aircraft, and our associated preparations are all in top gear.”

With its state-of-the-art powerplant, systems and materials technologies, Bombardier’s CSeries family of aircraft is setting new industry benchmarks in terms of both its profitability and its environmental credentials. The new jet will consume up to 25% less fuel than the Avro RJs it replaces and will have noise levels which are less than half those of any similarly-sized aircraft currently in production.