Aviation

Bombardier Aerospace Releases Annual Market Forecasts

  • 24,000 forecasted business jet deliveries from 2012 to 2031 valued at $648 billion US
  • 12,800 forecasted deliveries in the 20- to 149-seat commercial aircraft market worth more than $630 billion US

Bombardier Aerospace today released its annual 20-year forecasts for the business and commercial aircraft markets during a pre-Farnborough media event, held at its headquarters in Dorval, Québec, that was simultaneously webcast.

As the business and commercial aircraft markets continue to recover from the industry downturn, indicators are mixed, yet trending positively. New aircraft orders are supported by continued demand from developed markets and growth potential in emerging markets, which are forecasted to play an increasingly important role in the global aviation marketplace. Operators industry-wide remain focused on fleet optimization and aircraft efficiency as fuel prices and environmental concerns rise.

“We have built our leadership position in aviation by continuously pushing the boundaries of product development to better meet the needs of our customers, both those who operate our aircraft and those who use them as a mode of transportation,” said Mairead Lavery, Vice President, Strategy, Business Development and Structured Finance, Bombardier Aerospace. “We will continue to deliver industry-leading mobility solutions, and we are positioning ourselves for a period of growth by pursuing our international expansion strategy to be closer to our customers in traditional and emerging markets.”

Business Aircraft Market Forecast
Bombardier is confident in the strong, long-term potential of the business aircraft industry and forecasts a total of 24,000 business jet deliveries from 2012 to 2031 in all segments in which Bombardier competes*, which represents approximately $648 billion US** in industry revenues. The Bombardier Business Aircraft Market Forecast anticipates 9,800 aircraft deliveries, worth $266 billion US, from 2012 to 2021 and 14,200 deliveries, worth $382 billion US, from 2022 to 2031.

While the business aviation market continues to recover, current market indicators are mixed. Market confidence needs to be fully restored for industry business jet deliveries to increase strongly and enable the industry to realize its full potential. Deliveries are expected to lag order intake as manufacturers strive to maintain acceptable backlog levels, and business jet industry deliveries for 2012 are expected to be comparable to 2011. Bombardier believes business jet industry deliveries will return to sustained growth starting in 2013, with the Large aircraft category demonstrating the fastest growth.

Over the forecast period, Bombardier predicts that North America will receive the greatest number of new business jet deliveries between 2012 and 2031 with 9,500 aircraft, followed by Europe, with 3,920 aircraft. Notably, China will become the third largest market for business jet deliveries, with 2,420 deliveries from 2012 to 2031. Bombardier also expects key growth markets, including Brazil, India, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Indonesia, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey, to receive a significant share of business jet deliveries during the next 20 years.

Through its investment in innovative transportation solutions, Bombardier continues to lead the evolution of the business aviation industry. New aircraft development programs, including the Learjet 70, Learjet 75, Learjet 85, Global 7000 and Global 8000 jets, position Bombardier for long-term market leadership, and the Company remains committed to the international expansion of its services portfolio to better meet the needs of its customers.

Commercial Aircraft Market Forecast
Bombardier Aerospace’s 20-year view of the 20- to 149-seat commercial aircraft market calls for 12,800 deliveries from 2012 to 2031, generating over $630 billion US in sales revenue. This represents a decrease of 300 units (2.3 per cent) compared to last year’s forecast, mainly due to a lower GDP forecast and a sharp increase in the forecasted oil price.

Bombardier’s forecasted industry deliveries by segment are:

  • 20 to 59 seats: 300 aircraft deliveries
  • 60 to 99 seats: 5,600 aircraft deliveries
  • 100 to 149 seats: 6,900 aircraft deliveries

In the 60- to 99-seat commercial aircraft market, Bombardier expects that scope clauses in North American and European operations will continue to ease to meet growing demand in this market segment, valued at more than $180 billion US over the 20-year forecast period. In the 100- to 149-seat segment, a shift in focus towards aircraft that are optimized for their intended segments is expected to be a catalyst for demand as airlines move away from derivatives of larger aircraft that were originally designed for larger capacity. Deliveries from 2012 to 2031 in the 100- to 149-seat segment are forecast to be worth more than $449 billion US.

The global demand for air travel and new aircraft continues to shift towards emerging markets. In 2011, Bombardier increased the size of its commercial aircraft sales team, placing a strong emphasis on these regions to meet this demand. However, as with the business aircraft industry, North America is expected to lead the way in aircraft deliveries over the forecast period, taking in an expected 4,730 new aircraft, followed by China, with 2,220 aircraft, and Europe, including Russia and the CIS, with 2,240 aircraft.

The Bombardier Commercial Aircraft Market Forecast predicts that more than half of the current commercial aircraft fleet will be replaced in the next 20 years – a slightly greater percentage than expected last year. Technical obsolescence, cost inefficiencies and age are driving the increasing pace of older aircraft retirements, which will in turn have a positive impact on demand for new aircraft. In addition, although high oil prices will continue to challenge airlines’ profitability, the arrival of new, technologically advanced aircraft that deliver direct operating cost reductions will accelerate the retirement of older, less fuel-efficient aircraft.

With its optimized Q400 NextGen, CRJ NextGen and CSeries commercial aircraft, Bombardier is extremely well positioned to meet the demand for sustainable transportation solutions that marry advanced technology, operational efficiency and passenger appeal.

About Bombardier
Bombardier is the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.

Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, we posted revenues of $18.3 billion USD. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Notes to Editors

* Bombardier’s competitive segmentation includes Light, Medium and Large categories. Excludes very light jets and large corporate airliners.

** Unit values are based on B&CA magazine 2012 list prices expressed in US$

Bombardier, CRJ, CSeries, Global 7000, Global 8000, Learjet 70, Learjet 75, Learjet 85, NextGen and Q400 are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

For Information
Haley Dunne
Bombardier Aerospace
+1 514 855 7989

www.bombardier.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release includes forward looking statements, which may involve, but are not limited to: statements with respect to our objectives, guidance, targets, goals, priorities, markets and strategies, financial position, beliefs, prospects, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions; general economic and business outlook, prospects and trends of an industry; expected growth in demand for products and services; product development, including projected design, characteristics, capacity or performance; expected or scheduled entry into service of products and services, orders, deliveries, testing, lead times, certifications and project execution in general; our competitive position; and the expected impact of the legislative and regulatory environment and legal proceedings on our business and operations. Forward looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “foresee”, “believe” , “continue” or ”maintain”, the negative of these terms, variations of them or similar terminology. By their nature, forward looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to important known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. While we consider our assumptions to be reasonable and appropriate based on information currently available, there is a risk that they may not be accurate. For additional information with respect to the assumptions underlying the forward looking statements made in this press release, refer to the respective Guidance and forward-looking statements sections in Overview, Bombardier Aerospace and Bombardier Transportation sections in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) in the Corporation’s annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011.

Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward looking statements include risks associated with general economic conditions, risks associated with our business environment (such as risks associated with the financial condition of the airline industry and major rail operators), operational risks (such as risks related to developing new products and services; doing business with partners; product performance warranty and casualty claim losses; regulatory and legal proceedings; to the environment; dependence on certain customers and suppliers; human resources; fixed price commitments and production and project execution), financing risks (such as risks related to liquidity and access to capital markets, exposure to credit risk, certain restrictive debt covenants, financing support provided for the benefit of certain customers and reliance on government support) and market risks (such as risks related to foreign currency fluctuations, changing interest rates, decreases in residual value and increases in commodity prices). For more details, see the Risks and uncertainties section in Other. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future growth, results and performance is not exhaustive and undue reliance should not be placed on forward looking statements. The forward looking statements set forth herein reflect our expectations as at the date of the Corporation’s MD&A and are subject to change after such date. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, we expressly disclaim any intention, and assume no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.