Bombardier to Obtain Q400 Certification for London City Airport.

Business Editors

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 17, 2001

Anticipated JAA Steep Approach Certification Will Expand Q400 Market

Bombardier Aerospace (TSE:BBD.A.)(TSE:BBD.B.), in cooperation with the European Joint Airworthiness Authorities (JAA) and its member countries, are in the process of certifying the high-speed, 68-to-78 passenger Bombardier Q400(i) turboprop for steep approach operations at London City Airport (LCY).

JAA approval will permit airlines to operate the Bombardier Q400 between this unique urban airport and important business centres throughout the United Kingdom and western Europe.

"The steep approach program is further evidence of Bombardier's commitment to the Bombardier Q400 program and to our airline customers who recognize the value the Bombardier Q400 will provide from London City," said Bombardier Regional Aircraft president Steven Ridolfi. "The Bombardier Q400 flies at a jet-like 360 knots, but burns about 40% less fuel than a similar size jet. It requires far fewer passengers to break even, making new routes from London City to secondary European cities viable for the first time," he said.

London City's uniquely steep approach angle of 5.5 degrees, compared to 3 to 3.5 degrees at most commercial airports, is required for local noise abatement and obstacle clearance. Any aircraft serving this airport must achieve steep approach approval before it can be eligible for use at LCY.

"With full payloads typical of London City traffic, the Bombardier Q400 will easily serve markets up to 430 nautical miles from the airport and provide commercially attractive operations out to 800 nautical miles to capture destinations such as Stockholm, Warsaw, Budapest, Rome and Madrid amongst others," said Mr. Ridolfi.

Augsburg Airways of Germany and British European Airways, both Bombardier Q400 customers, have expressed strong interest in using the aircraft at LCY where they currently employ 37- and 50-seat Bombardier Dash 8(R)s and Q200/300(i)s. The Bombardier Q400 will provide increased capacity on existing routes, while also offering opportunities to develop new destinations as well.

London City Airport serves business travelers in the financial heart of London. It is built on the former Royal Docks next to the Thames River, a few kilometres east of downtown London. The airport handled 1.6 million passengers in 2000 with forecasts suggesting traffic will increase to 3.5 million annual passengers by 2010.

The existence of this unique urban airport is directly linked to the innovative Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) research conducted by Bombardier's de Havilland unit in the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, the first aircraft approved to operate into LCY was the company's innovative 50-passenger Dash 7 airliner.

"Steep approach certification of the Bombardier Q400 will facilitate operations into other small airports with similar landing approach restrictions," said Mr. Ridolfi. "In Europe, this would include Florence, Lugano and Stockholm-Bromma airports."

Bombardier's Q400 steep approach procedure also results in reduced landing distances when applied at conventional airports, permitting increased payloads and reduced maintenance costs for airlines.

Following more than 30 hours of flying and 130 approaches, Transport Canada and Bombardier testing has confirmed the performance and handling capabilities of the Bombardier Q400 at London City's challenging 5.5 degree approach angle. Transport Canada's approval of the resulting flight manual supplement is expected in July 2001, with JAA approval expected in the third quarter of 2001.

The trials have been carried out at a number of locations by the Bombardier Flight Test Center personnel including a brief visit to London City in March this year. The LCY trials included a number of approaches and full stop landings, as well as ground handling and manoeuvring.

With two 5,071shp Pratt & Whitney PW150A driving large, slow turning, six bladed Dowty R408 propellers, the Bombardier Q400 has more than enough power, combined with excellent low speed handling characteristics, to easily cope with the 5.5 degree approach and the transition to land on the short 1,199m runway. It will also be an extremely good neighbor, with low noise and emission levels.

With the performance and handling phase of the flight test program essentially complete, development work is now focused on minor configuration changes to the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) to facilitate the steep approach angle.

A total of 110 Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft have been ordered and optioned by seven airlines - 77 of these by five European carriers: Augsburg Airways of Germany; British European; SAS Commuter; Tyrolean Airways of Austria; and Wideroe of Norway. The Bombardier Q400 is also in service with Horizon Air of the United States and Changan Airlines of China.

Bombardier Aerospace, a unit of Bombardier Inc., is a world leader in the design, and manufacture of innovative aviation products and services for the regional, business and amphibious aircraft markets. It also offers Bombardier Flexjet(R) fractional ownership, aircraft charter and management, technical services, aircraft maintenance and pilot training for business, regional airline and military customers.

Bombardier Inc., a diversified manufacturing and service company, is a world leading manufacturer of business jets, regional aircraft, rail transportation equipment and motorized recreational products. It is also a provider of financial services and asset management. The Corporation employs 79,000 people in 24 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Bombardier's revenues for its fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2001 totalled $16.1 billion and more than 90% were generated outside Canada.

(R) Registered trademark of Bombardier Inc.

(i) Trademark of Bombardier Inc.

Note to Editors:

Illustration of the Bombardier Q400 during recent demonstration flights at London City Centre airport are available in the "News Release Photo" section of the Bombardier website Media Centre Multimedia Library at:

http://aero.bombardier.com/htmen/F15.htm