3 ms·

It seems like only the planes bound for US airlines will be manufactured in the US.

by wrnu 9y ago

ChuckMcM 9y ago
This is, I think, the key feature. While the US does consume a bunch of planes, it is by no means the only market. What Delta did for Bombardier was to give them a 'light house' customer[1] to show the world that this plane was worth considering. [1] The 'light house customer' metaphor was a favorite of Chris Bennet's at NetApp. They were a customer that if they adopted your product, others in the same business would see your product as a "safe harbor" and would be willing to buy your stuff too. The unwillingness to be 'first' in an industry where one plane represents a big chunk of capital is strong.
- inferiorhuman 9y ago
  I figured that Swissair was that lighthouse customer. They've had very positive feedback for the C-series, which is quite impressive for a brand new model. Honestly I doubt Delta would've even considered the C-series if they were to be the first major customer.
  - ChuckMcM 9y ago
    It does look like Lufthansa/Swissair was the earlier 'major' customer, although this graph (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bombardier_CSeries_orders_and_deliveries#Orders.2C_commitments_.26_deliveries_graph https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bombardier_CSeries_ord...) shows why Boeing complained about Delta :-)
    - inferiorhuman 9y ago
      IMO the big reason that Boeing is going after BBD is not the CS100, but the prospect of a CS500 which would compete directly with the antiquated 737. Boeing has, for now, left Embraer alone because the E2 can't be stretched as much as the C-series. The hypocrisy is strong with Boeing though. Boeing's received over $8 billion in tax breaks (errrr subsidies) from the state of Washington alone. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/boeings-historic-tax-break-from-state-even-bigger-than-thought/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/boeings-historic-t...

It seems like only the planes bound for US airlines will be manufactured in the US.

by wrnu 9y ago

It seems like only the planes bound for US airlines will be manufactured in the US.

This is, I think, the key feature. While the US does consume a bunch of planes, it is by no means the only market. What Delta did for Bombardier was to give them a 'light house' customer[1] to show the world that this plane was worth considering. [1] The 'light house customer' metaphor was a favorite of Chris Bennet's at NetApp. They were a customer that if they adopted your product, others in the same business would see your product as a "safe harbor" and would be willing to buy your stuff too. The unwillingness to be 'first' in an industry where one plane represents a big chunk of capital is strong.

inferiorhuman 9y ago
I figured that Swissair was that lighthouse customer. They've had very positive feedback for the C-series, which is quite impressive for a brand new model. Honestly I doubt Delta would've even considered the C-series if they were to be the first major customer.
- ChuckMcM 9y ago
  It does look like Lufthansa/Swissair was the earlier 'major' customer, although this graph (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bombardier_CSeries_orders_and_deliveries#Orders.2C_commitments_.26_deliveries_graph https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bombardier_CSeries_ord...) shows why Boeing complained about Delta :-)
  - inferiorhuman 9y ago
    IMO the big reason that Boeing is going after BBD is not the CS100, but the prospect of a CS500 which would compete directly with the antiquated 737. Boeing has, for now, left Embraer alone because the E2 can't be stretched as much as the C-series. The hypocrisy is strong with Boeing though. Boeing's received over $8 billion in tax breaks (errrr subsidies) from the state of Washington alone. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/boeings-historic-tax-break-from-state-even-bigger-than-thought/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/boeings-historic-t...