The first deals of the recently convened African Airlines Association (AFRAA) 44th Annual General Assembly being held in Johannesburg have been announced with Canada's Bombardier selecting South African Express Airways better known as SA Express (XZ) for the company's first Africa-based Authorized Service Facility (ASF) for its CRJ100, CRJ200 and CRJ700 regional jets, as well as its Q400 turboprops and other Dash 8/Q-Series turboprops.  |
| ASKY Airlines Q400 interior |
Under the ASF agreement, Johannesburg-based SA Express received Bombardier’s endorsement to offer maintenance work to operators of CRJ100, CRJ200 and CRJ700 regional jets and Dash 8-100/200/300, Q100, Q200, Q300 andQ400 turboprop aircraft.
“Our entire Customer Services team is firmly committed to expanding our presence in Africa at an accelerated pace to support operators of Bombardier commercial and business aircraft,” said Éric Martel, President, Customer Services & Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft, Bombardier Aerospace. “Our global support network is spreading its wings through our sustained investment and focus. We are pleased to further bolster our presence in collaboration with a long-standing local Bombardier operator.”
Source [Bombardier]
South African Express operates a fleet of 15 CRJ200 and CRJ700 regional jets and nine Q400 turboprops. The airline employs a full-time staff of approximately 300 maintenance technicians performing both light and heavy maintenance work within a 10,000 square-metre (107,640 square-foot) maintenance hangar and support infrastructure facilities across their base of operations.
South African Express has repeatedly earned Bombardier's Airline Reliability Performance Award for the Middle East and Africa, winning awards in 2010 and 2012 for the CRJ100 and CRJ200 aircraft, in 2011 for the Q100/200/300 turboprop category and in 2008 for the Q400 turboprop category.
South African Express operates a fleet of 15 CRJ200 and CRJ700 regional jets and nine Q400 turboprops. The airline employs a full-time staff of approximately 300 maintenance technicians performing both light and heavy maintenance work within a 10,000 square-metre (107,640 square-foot) maintenance hangar and support infrastructure facilities across their base of operations.
South African Express has repeatedly earned Bombardier's Airline Reliability Performance Award for the Middle East and Africa, winning awards in 2010 and 2012 for the CRJ100 and CRJ200 aircraft, in 2011 for the Q100/200/300 turboprop category and in 2008 for the Q400 turboprop category.
 |
| Bombardier's nascent C-Series (Bombardier) |
During the Assembly, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft will showcase its line-up of commercial aircraft, with emphasis on its Q400 NextGen regional turboprop, the CRJ NextGen regional jet family, and the all-new CSeries mainline jetliner due in 2013.
"Our market forecast for the 2012-2031 timeframe predicts that African airlines will take delivery of 550 aircraft in the 20- to 149-seat segment industry wide. The majority of that demand is expected to be in the 100- to 149-seat market segment that belongs to our CSeries family of airliners, while the remainder is expected to be mainly in the 60- to 99-seat market segment in which our Q400 NextGen and CRJ NextGen aircraft compete,” said Raphael Haddad, Vice-president, Sales, Middle East and Africa, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft,
The Montreal-based manufacturer announced today that Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is the first airline to take delivery of Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners outfitted with a dual-class configuration on the production line. The two airliners delivered so far, have already entered service with Ethiopian Airlines and its affiliate, ASKY Airlines of Togo.