Bombardier’s newly opened service center at Tianjin in northeastern China is testament to the Canadian aircraft manufacturer’s strong commitment to the local business aviation market. The 9,290-sq-m (100,000 sq-ft) facility has been constructed over the past two years through a joint venture with the Tianjin Airport Economic Area authority.

According to Bombardier, its new Global 7000 jet will have strong appeal in China and the wider Asia Pacific region due to its exceptional range and cabin space (see below). Its existing Global 5000 and 6000 models, along with the Challenger 650 and 605, also have contributed to the company’s claim that it has achieved a 35 percent share of the 114 business aircraft delivered to the region in the 2014-16 period (tying it for first place with Gulfstream). Overall, there are now around 280 Bombardier business jets based in the region---the vast majority of them being Globals and Challengers.

“The Tianjin center will strongly compliment the role of our customer service representatives on the ground in China, as well as our service center in Singapore,” Brad Nolen, Bombardier Business Aircraft’s director of product strategy and market development told AIN. It will open with capability to support Global aircraft, and by year-end this will be extended to include Challengers and the smaller Learjets.

Bombardier is training Chinese mechanics at its maintenance facilities in Singapore and North America. The manufacturer already has regional support offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai, as well as parts and components repair and overhaul facilities in Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Apart from China—where much of Bombardier’s installed base of aircraft resides—the company has seen significant growth in India, Australia and Singapore. “Even if Chinese economic growth has slowed somewhat, it’s still at 6.5 percent and there is still very low penetration of the potential market for business aircraft,” stated Nolan.

“For the most part, customers in this region need aircraft with range of more than 4,000 nmi so that they can make trips such as connecting directly to the Middle East and then on to Europe,” Nolan said. “It’s all about access to global markets.”

According to Bombardier, the new Global 7000 has the only true four-zone cabin with the separate crew rest area necessary for flights of up to 12 to 13 hours. The available space also makes room for up to six beds on the aircraft, and this, claimed Nolan, has resulted in Asian customers being among the early orders for the 7000, which is due to enter service in the second half of 2018.

On March 4, the second Global 7000 flight-test vehicle (FTV2) achieved its first flight. The first flight test vehicle started the certification campaign back in November as Bombardier seeks to catch up on a program that has been delayed by two years.

The Global 7000 will offer range of up to 7,400 nm carrying eight passengers and cruising at Mach 0.85, allowing for nonstop flights such as London to Singapore and Dubai to New York City. High-speed cruise will be Mach 0.925.

FTV2, which Bombardier has dubbed “The Powerhouse,” is being used to test aircraft systems, including propulsion, electrical and mechanical systems. “We now have a flight-test vehicle dedicated to testing the aircraft’s systems,” explained François Caza, Bombardier’s product development vice president and chief engineer. “Data from FTV2 will supplement the successful results we have already obtained from the test rigs, including the integrated systems test and certification rig and, from the extensive flight testing of FTV1 to date. We are on track with our [revised] test program and we are very pleased with the progression and performance of our flight-test vehicles to date. The dedication and collaboration of our teams have shown were critical in achieving this significant milestone.”

The production wing for the Global 7000 is now in final design and expected to be flying on a production-conforming airplane later this year. Bombardier cited issues related to the Global 7000 wing as a factor in its decision for a two-year program delay.

Nolan concluded that long-standing difficulties associated with limitations on access to Chinese airports and airways for business aircraft is slowly being alleviated. “[For the Asian market] the next 12 months will be similar to 2016, which improved in the latter half of the year. In the longer term, we expect to see 700 more aircraft delivered to Greater China over the next 10 years,” he predicted.