Bombardier Aerospace’s first-quarter revenues declined year-over-year by 8.6 percent, to $2.1 billion, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer reported today. Bombardier executives attributed the lower quarterly revenue in part to the sale of its Flexjet fractional ownership business last year and lower sales of pre-owned aircraft. Meanwhile, its order backlog for both commercial and business aircraft grew to a record $38.5 billion, 40 percent of which is for aircraft under development.

The company delivered 43 business jets in the quarter, compared with 39 during the first quarter last year. This comprises 17 Global 5000/6000s, 14 Challenger 300s, six Challenger 605s and six Learjets. The business aircraft division received net orders for 46 aircraft after cancellations for nine, compared with net orders for 27 last year, for a corresponding book-to-bill ratio of 1.1:1.

Bombardier said the Learjet 85 prototype has logged more test flights since making its first flight on April 9 in Wichita, four months behind a revised schedule announced last year. The flights “proceeded as expected and no major issues were identified.” An update on the entry-into-service date will be provided “once the review of the flight-test program timeline has been completed,” it added. Meanwhile, it said other flight-test vehicles are in “various stages” of fabrication and assembly.