Bombardier Celebrates Ride and Flight of Dreams in South Africa with local students

• A ride on the Gautrain system in Johannesburg and a visit to the very first CRJ900 aircraft fitted with the ATMOSPHÈRE cabin in Africa, operated by Uganda Airlines, was arranged for the local learners

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

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A group of Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust students took a ride on the Gautrain commuter rail system with the Bombardier team

A group of Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust students toured the new Uganda Airlines CRJ900 aircraft, the first Bombardier CRJ Series aircraft equipped with the ATMOSPHÈRE cabin in Africa.

Today Bombardier, a global leader in the transportation industry, hosted a group of Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust learners to its state-of-the-art rail equipment factory in Johannesburg. Thereafter, the learners were offered a ride on the Gautrain commuter rail system and were then taken on a tour of a Uganda Airlines CRJ900 aircraft, notably the first Bombardier CRJ Series aircraft equipped with the ATMOSPHÈRE cabin in Africa.

Speaking about the visit, Oscar Vazquez, Head of Africa, Nordics, Iberia & Italy, Latin America, India, Middle East, Bombardier Transportation, said, “Investing in South Africa for over 25 years, I am delighted to be here with the learners from various schools in Alexandra Township to celebrate this important milestone. This Ride and Flight of Dreams is keeping with Bombardier’s focus on supporting child development and education in the communities where we operate. We take immense pride in being able to contribute and shape their dreams of riding and flying via this unique initiative, together with our long-term partner in South Africa, the Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust.”

“We value our relationship within the communities where we evolve and we were very pleased to be able to participate in this unique opportunity to show this beautiful aircraft, wearing the Uganda Airlines colours, to the local learners from Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust. The CRJ900 aircraft that is on display today is participating on a demo tour showing the new ATMOSPHÈRE interior in a number of African countries, said Colin Bole, Senior Vice President, Commercial, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.”

Operating successfully from 2012, the Gautrain system, a prestigious South African rail project, involved Bombardier to deliver 96 state-of-the-art BOMBARDIER ELECTROSTAR vehicles along with maintaining the fleet for 15 years. Bombardier has been supporting youth groups in Gauteng; Limpopo and Kwazulu-Natal contributing for education to over 70 graduates. In the region, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft with South African Airways in 2018 sponsored a computer lab in Lusaka, Zambia. Till date, Bombardier has invested R 5.1 million in South Africa in social investment causes.

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft has been supporting South African Express Airways, which has an all-Bombardier fleet composed of CRJ200, CRJ700 and Q400 aircraft. Bombardier Transportation has a well-established manufacturing operation, engineering capabilities, around 200 employees and local supplier base delivering rail solutions for South Africa.

About Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is a global mobility solution provider leading the way with the rail industry’s broadest portfolio. It covers the full spectrum of solutions, ranging from trains to sub-systems and signalling to complete turnkey transport systems, e-mobility technology and data-driven maintenance services. Combining technology and performance with empathy, Bombardier Transportation continuously breaks new ground in sustainable mobility by providing integrated solutions that create substantial benefits for operators, passengers and the environment. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Bombardier Transportation employs around 40,650 people and its products and services operate in over 60 countries.

About Bombardier
With over 68,000 employees across four business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in 28 countries across the segments of Transportation, Business Aircraft, Commercial Aircraft and Aerostructures and Engineering Services. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, Bombardier posted revenues of $16.2 billion US. The company is recognized on the 2019 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World Index. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Notes to editors
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Images of a CRJ900 aircraft in Uganda Airline’s livery and photos from the delivery ceremony are posted with this press release at www.bombardier.com.

The CRJ900 aircraft backgrounder is available in the BCA Media Hub

Bombardier, CRJ Series, CRJ200, CRJ700, CRJ900, Q400,  TRAXX, ELECTROSTAR and CITYFLO are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

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