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Risk is a big one. Bombardier, an established airplane company, couldn't find any customers for the C-Series (now the A220) until they gave away the plane to A
by MattGaiser 3y ago
Risk is a big one.
Bombardier, an established airplane company, couldn't find any customers for the C-Series (now the A220) until they gave away the plane to Airbus for free. Now it sells like hotcakes.
Companies simply were not willing to take a risk on a new plane without establishment backing.
No corporation would accept Tesla's "Full Self Driving" claims. Plenty of individuals think "good enough."
- AnimalMuppet 3y agoBoeing's dumping complaint made it impossible for Bombardier to sell the plane until they laundered it through Airbus. It wasn't just "airlines were afraid of the risk of a new plane".
- internet101010 3y agoIIRC the main reason they struggled to find customers wasn't because of safety concerns, but because of Bombardier's financial uncertainty. The program's costs far exceeded budget and the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. The final nail in the coffin was when Boeing convinced US regulators that Bombardier was dumping in order to enter that market segment. This resulted in a 300% duty, which indirectly forced them to sell to Airbus for $1.
- Ylpertnodi 3y agoI rather think the company name wasn't very 'catchy', at the very least.
- himinlomax 3y agoAirbus took over the debts for the project. They paid $1 for 50% of the shares, not sure how much they paid for the rest, but in any case, they assumed the financial burden which was what was dragging Bombardier down.