Canada's Bombardier gets biggest ever order

Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier on Tuesday announced its largest sale ever, a $3.1 billion order from VistaJet, with the option of increasing the purchase to $7.8 billion. In a joint statement, VistaJet said the order -- which includes a firm demand for 56 Global jets and the option of purchasing 86 more -- represents the "largest single transaction in the history of business aviation." "By any standard, this is a historic order for Bombardier," Steve Ridolfi, the president of Bombardier Business Aircraft, said in the statement. "VistaJet recently took delivery of the 50th aircraft for their fleet, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to maintaining the youngest fleet in the sky -- with an average age of two years and all aircraft operating under the manufacturers' warranty," he said. Founded in 2004, VistaJet is one of the largest private jet operators outside North America and an exclusive customer of Bombardier. The company, which operates in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and west Africa, aims to double its business by 2015. VistaJet, founded by Swiss businessman Thomas Flohr, said it will have carried 25,000 passengers on 10,000 international flights in 2012 alone.