C Series, The true potential of an outstanding aircraft

After the CS100 returned to Montreal-Mirabel direct non-stop from Riga in Latvia, I began to wonder if Bombardier was telling everything about the performance of the C Series and its maximum range. So when I attended the press conference announcing the certification of the C Series, I intended to ask several questions regarding this matter. Unfortunately I was unable to obtain a clear statement that would have allowed me to conclude that the C Series has a greater operating range than that announced in the brochure.

That morning I had the chance to have some good conversations with some of Bombardier’s employees and in relation to my theory I have the two following facts: firstly that in contrast with its competitors, the figures and performance listed in the C Series brochure are indeed real. Secondly operating range of 3100kt of the CS100 announced in the brochure is for its maximum weight at take-off, so the aircraft would be configured to transport 133 passengers in total. If there’s nothing new about these facts, it was only a few days later that I got the answer I was looking for by comparing the old CS100 brochure with the new version revealed at Le Bourget last summer.

Here is a comparative table of the two versions in the CS100 brochure:

If the maximum distance with 133 sardines on board is 3100kt, it goes without saying that with 125 tightly packed passengers the aircraft’s maximum range is increased. What’s more it must be noted that no client purchasing the CS100 has yet chosen the high density versions containing 120 and 133 seats. This means that the true operating range of the CS100 with 108 comfortably seated passengers would in fact be closer to 3500kt. Not only would such a range allow the CS100 to comfortably operate the London City-New York route with 108 passengers but also this would be the limit for London City-Chicago route.   That is to say that this will be possible with improvements in performance before 2020.

Such performances by the C Series would allow for the opening of a multitude of new routes. I am thinking of less populated cities such as Quebec that could well have affordable flights to London, Paris and other European capitals. As there are over 100 cities on the planet with a similar situation to that of Quebec I believe that the full potential of the C Series will not solely be limited to aircraft with a capacity of between 100-150 passengers and will go well beyond 3500 firm orders.