http://airnation.net/2016/08/25/bom...rs-swiss-air-lines-says/#.V782N5q8eLA.twitter
Bombardier Inc’s CSeries showing ‘much higher’ reliability than competitors, Swiss Air Lines says
August 25, 2016 by AirnationCrew Leave a Comment
The first airline to fly Bombardier Inc.’s CSeries says the jetliner has been significantly more reliable in its first month of operation than other aircraft built by its competitors.
An aircraft’s dependability is often measured by its dispatch reliability, or the percentage of flights that depart on time. Swiss International Air Lines Ltd., which offered the first-ever CSeries commercial flight on July 15, said the aircraft is performing better than some Boeing Co. and Airbus Group SE jets did during their first few weeks in operation.
“The dispatch reliability of the first aircraft has already reached a high value, much higher than in comparison with the dispatch reliability of other new aircraft types during phase-in,” Swiss spokeswoman Karin Muller said in an email, pointing specifically to Airbus’s A380 and A320neo and Boeing’s 787.
She added that the CSeries’ dispatch reliability has not yet reached the desired level of 99 per cent, but Swiss won’t release more detailed numbers until at least five aircraft have been in operation for at least three months.
Swiss now has two CS100 aircraft in operation after the second one entered service last week. The airline has placed a firm order for 15 CS100s and 15 of the larger-variety CS300s.
The CSeries experienced some minor glitches in its first week of operation. The very first flight, from Zurich to Paris, was delayed by an hour when airport ramp staff disconnected a ground power cable too soon, forcing a power restart.
Four days later, a flight from Zurich to Manchester, U.K., turned back after the plane experienced a problem with its air-conditioning system.
Muller described these as “small technical and operational issues” that didn’t hurt the phase-in process.
“With our daily experience and the support by Bombardier on-site, these issues and insecurities regarding the handling have already noticeably decreased,” she said.
The feedback from our pilots is gratifying. They especially like the intuitive flying experience. Swiss has also experienced some minor cabin design issues that it is addressing with Bombardier and which may delay delivery of the next aircraft by “a few weeks,” but overall the experience has been encouraging, Muller added.
“The customer feedback is very positive with the expected remarks concerning the bright cabin, reduced noise, enough leg room and space for hand luggage as well as the comfortable seats,” she said. “Also the feedback from our pilots is gratifying. They especially like the intuitive flying experience.”
Earlier this month, Bombardier CEO Alain Bellemare described the feedback from Swiss and its passengers as “outstanding.”
The positive reception has been a relief for the company, which had struggled with delays, cost overruns and serious doubts about demand for the aircraft. Recent orders from Air Canada and Delta Air Lines Inc. have helped to ease those concerns.
The larger CS300 version of the jetliner was certified by Transport Canada in July and is expected to enter service with Air Baltic Corp. by the end of the year.
