• Same Type Rating offers operators significant cost savings

• Six airBaltic pilots have completed minimal differences training and are now qualified to fly the CS300 aircraft   

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that Transport Canada and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have awarded the CS100 and CS300 airliners with the Same Type Rating (STR) which provides operators with significant cost-saving opportunities.

“The Same Type Rating is a reflection of the high commonality between the CS100 and CS300 aircraft. This is great news for customers that operate both aircraft as they will benefit from the cost-effective, minimal training required to transition pilots from one model to the other. The commonality also extends to spare parts, maintenance procedures and ground handling, which altogether represent significant financial advantages to customers,” said Todd Young, Vice President and General Manager, Customer Services, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

The CS100 and CS300 aircraft feature over 99 per cent parts commonality – the highest level of parts commonality achieved by a manufacturer in the industry. The models are not stretched or shrunken versions of each other, but were designed side by side with only the center section being longer on the larger CS300 aircraft. The aircraft are therefore both specifically optimized for their size, without any compromise on weight, performance or economics.

“I would also like to applaud airBaltic’s six core pilots who recently completed their differences training and are now qualified to fly the CS300 aircraft,” added Mr. Young.