Bombardier's Delta deal spurs airline talks

Boosted by a CSeries order from Delta, Bombardier is reestablishing sales talks with several US and European carriers, and eyeing China, the world's fastest-growing aviation nation. Bombardier is using last week's order for 75 CS100s to renew contact with established Western carriers, while looking to win a breakthrough order from Chinese airlines, company executives said. The Delta deal, along with an expected order for 45 planes from Air Canada, give Montreal-based Bombardier the North American "anchor" it needs to bolster efforts globally, the company's CE said. "I would say the focus (on China) has to increase," CEAlain Bellemare said. "Clearly, this is a target market for us." The momentum has helped the company to "advance" its conversations with Chinese carriers, say company executives. Chinese passenger traffic has grown by double digits over the last decade, and industry observers expect the country's air travel market to remain buoyant despite any economic slowdown.<br/>