Correcting…In the news release transmitted earlier today for BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE, information on Further development was missing. The complete and corrected version follows: Correction from Source: RE - Bombardier Aerospace - Canadair Regional Jet Series 700 Program Off to a Good Start

Business Wire, Feb 19, 1997

MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 19, 1997--BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE Bombardier Aerospace today indicated at a press briefing on the new 70-seater Canadair Regional Jet(1) Series 700, a stretched development of the best-selling 50-seater CRJ Series 100 and CRJ Series 200 airliners, that it has on hand 67 orders, options and memoranda of understanding from eight airlines on four continents. Brit air of Morlaix, France is the lead customer for the CRJ Series 700. The CRJ Series 700 program was officially launched on Jan. 21, 1997.

Robert Brown, president of Bombardier Aerospace said: "The launch of the Canadair Regional Jet Series 700 program reflects our long term commitment to the regional aircraft industry. Regional airlines will increasingly require genuine families of aircraft. Our significant investments in both the de Havilland Dash 8 Series 400 and CRJ Series 700 programs is testimony to our determination to remain the manufacturer of choice by regional airlines worldwide."

Added Pierre Lortie, president of Bombardier Regional Aircraft Division, which markets and supports the Canadair Regional Jet, "We forecast a requirement for about 2,000 regional jet aircraft in the 20- to 90-seat market by the year 2015. Bombardier's share of the jet portion of this market - 53 per cent in calendar 1996 alone - will be further reinforced by the Canadair Regional Jet Series 700."

Brit air, the lead customer, has placed an order for four CRJ Series 700 which it will add to its fleet of nine 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet aircraft. Brit air operates the Canadair Regional Jet on its own routes as well as others on behalf of Groupe Air France in France and in Europe.

Like the Canadair Regional Jet Series 100 and 200 aircraft, the Series 700 will have four-abreast seating at a comfortable 31 inch (78.7 cm) pitch. The aircraft will cruise at 534 mph (860 km/h) on flights up to 2,337 miles (3,761 km), providing a quiet, vibration- free environment for its passengers.

Airlines operating the Series 100 and 200 who add the Series 700 to their fleets will reap the benefits of a true family of aircraft through substantial savings in crew training, maintenance, spare parts and ground support equipment. The CRJ Series 700 will enter service in the fourth quarter of the year 2000.

More international participants

Bombardier announced that Sundstrand Aerospace of Rockford, Illinois, Menasco Aerospace of Oakville, Ontario and Intertechnique - the second French participant - has joined the Series 700 program. Sundstrand will supply the flaps/slats system and components for the electrical generator system; Menasco will provide the landing gear and Intertechnique will design and manufacture the aircraft's integrated fuel system.

They join original program participants Collins Commercial Avionics of Cedar Rapids, Iowa (avionics system), Liebherr- Aerospace-Toulouse of Toulouse, France (air management system) and General Electric of Lynn, Massachusetts (powerplant).

Bombardier's Canadair unit will design and build the wing and nose fuselage and will assemble the aircraft at its Montreal facilities. Bombardier unit Short Brothers of Belfast, Northern Ireland, will supply the engine nacelles and thrust reversers and forward and mid-fuselage.

Close to 550 engineers representing Bombardier and its participants will be on site in Montreal for the joint definition phase of the Canadair Regional Jet Series 700 program, after which the participants will finalize the design of their individual components.

"The experience gained through the design of the Bombardier Global Express, an ultra-long-range corporate jet aircraft, is once again being put to good use on the Canadair Regional Jet Series 700 program through technology transfers and the expertise of our international partners," said John Holding, group executive vice president, engineering and product development at Bombardier Aerospace.

Meeting the demands of the airline industry

Since introduction to service in the fall of 1992, the Canadair Regional Jet has clearly defined and expanded its niche to become the airliner of choice in the regional jet sector. The Canadair Regional Jet in-service fleet has accumulated about 612,475 flight hours and 515,595 flight cycles.

In service, the Canadair Regional Jet continues to demonstrate performance results that exceed originally published specifications, burning 10 per cent less fuel than predicted and firmly establishing itself as the world's quietest and most environmentally friendly commercial jet aircraft.

The Canadair Regional Jet Series 100 and 200 aircraft have gathered 200 firm orders from 13 airlines around the world as of January 31. CRJ aircraft have been ordered by : Air Canada (Canada); Air Littoral and Brit air (France); COMAIR, SkyWest, Mesa Air Group and Atlantic Coast Airlines (USA); DAC Air (Romania); Lauda Air and Tyrolean Airways (Austria); Lufthansa CityLine (Germany); SAEAGA Airlines (Malaysia); and Southern Winds (Argentina).

Bombardier Regional Aircraft Division markets and supports the de Havilland Dash 8 family of turboprop airliners and the Canadair Regional Jet. Canadair, de Havilland, Learjet and Shorts are units of Bombardier Aerospace Group.