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Montreal: Bombardier Inc said yesterday its aircraft deliveries rose more than 10 per cent during the past fiscal year on strong demand for business jets and a rebound in the regional jet market.
Bombardier, the world's third-largest civil aircraft maker and largest manufacturer of trains, said it delivered 361 aircraft in the year ended January 31. That was up from 326 deliveries in the previous fiscal year.
Aircraft orders almost doubled to 698 from 363, with business jets and regional aircraft accounting for the increase.
Boom time
It was the fourth straight year of higher orders and deliveries for business aircraft, Bombardier said.
Business jet deliveries rose nine per cent to 232 from 212, while orders surged to 452 from 274, aided by 154 orders in the fourth quarter, versus 117 in the year earlier period.
"This fiscal year, a significant growth in demand for Bombardier business jets from major emerging markets, such as Russia and Asia, tipped the balance over the previously dominant US market and progressively shifted demand for business jets to international markets," Bombardier said.
Some 30 per cent of the Canadian company's business jet orders came from the US.
Desjardins Securities said in a research note that the aircraft deliveries were as expected but the strong order numbers were "impressive".
"We are also pleased that 70 per cent of business jet orders came from outside the US, which provides more diversification than four years ago when business jet deliveries outside of the US represented only 30 per cent," wrote analyst Benoit Poirier.
"There is currently strong growth from major emerging markets such as Russia and Asia, which will help the company in an upcoming downturn."
Bombardier said it had a leading 26 per cent of the global market for business aircraft, based on revenue, in the calendar year.
Bombardier's business jets include the Learjet, Challenger, Global 5000 and Global Express series.
Regional aircraft deliveries rose 14 per cent to 128 from 112 in the previous year, as demand continued to shift toward larger jets and turboprops, the company said.
New launch
Last week, the company said it would begin offering its 110- to 130-seat CSeries airliner to prospective customers ahead of an expected official launch of the $3.2 billion jet programme later this year.
The CSeries would take Bombardier into markets dominated by Boeing Co and Airbus.
Record: Embraer delivers 169 units
Bombardier's main rival in the regional jet market, Brazil's aircraft maker Embraer, said last month it delivered a record 169 planes in 2007, boosted by growing demand for its regional and executive jets.
Embraer is currently working on luxury business jets the Phenom 100 and 300, and has already received more than 700 orders for the two planes.
Bombardier said it delivered 47 of its Q400 turboprops during the year, up from 31 the previous year, and 56 of its CRJ900/CRJ900 NextGen jets, up from 50.
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