Saturday, May 31, 2014

Setback hits A320 challenger

Canada's Bombardier suffered a setback to plans to build a jetliner to compete against the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 when a C Series flight test vehicle had an engine failure. The plane was on the ground at an airport near Montreal Thursday when one of the two Pratt & Whitney Pure Power engines, a new design, caught fire. The cause is being investigated. The engine is also available for the Airbus A320neo. Bombardier's largest plane's debut is already behind schedule. (Sources: Bloomberg, 05/30/14, 24/7WallSt.com, 05/31/14) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala.