Under perfect weather conditions, Bombardier Aerospace celebrated the successful first flight of its CSeries aircraft Monday, a major milestone in the company’s highly anticipated development program that will provide operators with an all-new family of aircraft specifically designed for the 100- to 149-seat market segment.

The maiden flight marks the start of the CSeries aircraft’s flight test program leading up to the first customer delivery, and was also the first flight for Pratt & Whitney’s new Geared Turbofan™ PurePower engine as part of an aircraft certification program.

Pratt & Whitney's PurePower engine powered Bombardier's new CSeries airplane for its maiden flight. The PW1500G engine, which achieved engine certification from Transport Canada in February, is the first of six new engine programs using Pratt & Whitney's Geared Turbofan™ architecture to power an aircraft.

“The CSeries aircraft's maiden flight is an outstanding milestone for us - and the PW1500G engine is an integral part of today's success. The PurePower engine technology fits extremely well with the innovative aircraft that we are bringing to market. We look forward to our continued collaboration on this industry-changing aircraft,” said Rob Dewar, Vice President, CSeries, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

“We congratulate Bombardier on the CSeries aircraft's historic first flight and we're proud to be powering the aircraft - the first 'next generation' and all-new airplane to enter the single-aisle market segment. Our PW1500G will improve engine fuel efficiency by 16%  and reduce airline engine operating costs by up to 20%. The PurePower engine slashes noise footprints by up to 75% compared to existing turbofan engines,” said Dave Brantner, President, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines.

Today's flight milestone is a key step forward to aircraft certification and entry-into-service. To date, the PW1500G engine has completed 3,000 hours of ground and flight testing.

The PurePower PW1000G engine family uses an advanced gear system that allows the engine's fan to operate at a different speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine. Built on the foundation of the company's successful fifth generation fighter engines, the PW1000G engine family includes micro-circuit internal cooling to enhance durability and efficiency. Additionally, the leading edge coating technology derived and proven in the harshest environments provides the engine's airfoils with a “non-stick” barrier that is critical for high temperatures and harsh environments.