Bombardier clears milestone after Swiss Air Lines becomes first to accept CSeries

By By Ross Marowits

MIRABEL, Que. – After years of delay and at least $2 billion in cost overruns, Bombardier’s CSeries program is finally getting off the ground with delivery of the aircraft to Swiss International Air Lines, the first carrier to accept the plane.

The CS100 passenger jet was formally handed over Wednesday to the European carrier at Montreal’s Mirabel airport.

The aircraft, the first of 30 firm CSeries orders by Swiss International, is scheduled to leave for Zurich on Thursday morning and begin regular service July 15.

The CSeries is to make its first passenger flights in North America later Wednesday with members of the news media as well as suppliers and guests invited aboard two one-hour flights around the airport.

A similar flight took place June 3 between Dublin and Zurich. A test aircraft will also conduct passenger flights next month at the Farnborough Air Show near London.

Montreal-based Bombardier (TSX:BBD.B) has struggled financially as it developed the CSeries, the largest plane the company has built.

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