Bombardier has announced a firm order for 20 Challenger 3500 business jets, marking the largest business jet transaction of 2021.
The deal, to a confidential customer, is worth $534 million based on current list pricing. The Challenger 3500 business jet was unveiled on September 14 as an evolution on the Challenger 350 aircraft.
Peter Likoray, Senior Vice President, Sales, New Aircraft, Bombardier said: “This significant order comes just days after the unveiling of the Challenger 3500 business jet, quickly reinforcing the supremacy of this platform in the super mid-size market. The new Challenger 3500 aircraft is ideally suited to meet a growing demand for business travel. It offers an unmatched combination of performance, advantageous operating costs, cabin experience, innovation and a smooth ride – the perfect package for fleet operators, corporate flight departments and individual customers, including those looking to enter the business jet market.”
World’s first voice controlled cabin
The Challenger 3500 business jet was unveiled on September 14. The new jet, an evolution of the best-selling Challenger 350 aircraft, has a redesigned interior featuring a Nuage seat, inherited from Bombardier’s large-cabin Global aircraft. The passenger spaces offer a host of new technologies, including the industry’s first voice-controlled cabin, wireless chargers throughout the cabin, and the only 24-inch, 4K displays in its class. The altitude in the cabin is 31 per cent lower than that of its predecessor.
The aircraft features a standard auto-throttle system to further enhance the experience for Challenger pilots. The aircraft was designed through a sustainable lens and will be the first business jet in the super mid-size segment with an Environmental Product Declaration, an open book on the aircraft’s environmental footprint throughout its entire lifecycle. Customers also have the option of furnishing their cabin with high-end sustainable materials. Other sustainable initiatives include the introduction of the first eco app solution in business aviation, and a carbon neutral flight test programme.
The Challenger 3500 business jet is expected to enter service in the second half of 2022.
