NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bombardier said on Thursday that quarterly earnings more than doubled, helped by an 8 percent rise in revenue, but new orders for both airplanes and trains fell as tough economic conditions weighed on demand.
Net income rose to $245 million, or 14 cents per share, in the third quarter ended on October 31 from $91 million, or 5 cents per share, a year earlier.
The results beat the analysts' average forecast by 2 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.
Revenue rose to $4.6 billion.
The overall backlog slipped to $51.9 billion, or an average of 2.7 years of revenue, from $53.6 billion at the end of January, as the dollar's strength weighed on the company's transportation segment.
Bombardier said commercial aircraft deliveries from its aerospace division fell by a third to 22 as customers requested deferral of deliveries to the fourth quarter.
Business aircraft deliveries were steady at 57 aircraft, but orders sank to 48 from 112 a year earlier as the economic crisis weighed on demand.
"Although it is too early to assess the severity and duration of the economic slowdown and its potential impact on both businesses (aerospace and transportation), we are confident in our future, having taken significant steps in the past few years to strengthen our operations and financial position," said Chief Executive Pierre Beaudoin.
The company said it expected to deliver a slightly higher level of aircraft, in aggregate, this fiscal year, compared with the 361 deliveries last year.
Bombardier's transportation section, which makes railroad cars and locomotives, said that while revenue was strong, new orders fell to $2.8 billion in the quarter from $3.1 billion a year earlier.
(Reporting by Christopher Kaufman; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
