Bombardier has received a firm order for 20 Challenger 3500 business jets from a customer who wishes to remain unnamed. This is Bombardier's largest business jet transaction of 2021, representing a value of $534 million US, based on current list pricing.

“This significant order comes just days after the unveiling of the Challenger 3500, quickly reinforcing the supremacy of this platform in the super midsize market,” remarks senior VP of sales Peter Likoray. “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.”

An evolution of the Challenger 350, the Challenger 3500 business jet was unveiled on 14 September. The new type boasts a redesigned interior featuring the patented Nuage seat, a masterpiece of comfort inherited from Bombardier's large-cabin Global aircraft. 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.

In the flight deck, the Challenger 3500 aircraft has more baseline features than any of its competitors, with a standard auto-throttle system to further enhance the experience for Challenger pilots.

The Challenger 3500 was designed through a sustainable lens and will be the first business jet in the super midsize segment with an Environmental Product Declaration, an open book on the aircraft's environmental footprint throughout its entire life cycle. Customers also have the option of furnishing their cabin with high-end sustainable materials. Other sustainably minded initiatives for this aircraft include the introduction of the first eco app solution in business aviation and a carbon neutral flight test programme.

The CL3500 is expected to enter service in the second half of 2022.