Apr 30 2013

United orders 30 Embraer 175s for delivery starting 2014

United Embraer 175On PAril 29th, 2013, United confirmed an order with Embraer for 30 Embraer-175s with an option for further aircraft that United will lease to its regional subsidiaries. The aircraft will be delivered starting in 2014 and all aircraft as expected to be in service by the end of 2015.

The aircraft’s interior will be 12 First Class seats, 16 Economy Plus seats, and 48 economy seats. United’s regional partners currently operate 38 Embraer 170s and 115 CRJ700s.

The aircraft will replace some of the 350 smaller, less efficient 50-seat regional jets now being operated.

Apr 29 2013

RwandAir places order for one Q400 NextGen

RwandAir logoOn April 29th, 2013, Bombardier announced the sale of one Q400 NextGen turboprop to RwandAir.

The airline will become the newest operator of Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft in Africa, and its Q400 NextGen aircraft will join more than 40 Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft that are already in service with, or have been ordered by, 11 operators in nine countries in Africa.

With this order, Bombardier has firm orders for 468 Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft. Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft have transported more than 243 million passengers and have logged over 3.8 million flight hours and more than 4.1 million take-offs and landings in service with more than 40 operators in over 30 countries on five continents.

Apr 10 2013

Porter Airlines becomes launch customer in Canada for CSeries

Porter Airlines CSeriesBombardier announced on April 10th, 2013 that Porter Airlines has signed a conditional purchase agreement for 12 CS100 aircraft, with options on an additional 18 aircraft. The airline also took purchase rights on six Q400 NextGen aircraft. It was also revealed that Porter Airlines was the unidentified, Americas-based customer that signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for CS100 aircraft in December 2012.

A firm-order contract would be worth approximately $870 million US and could increase to $2.08 billion US should the 18 options also be converted to firm orders. If Porter also exercises the six purchase rights for the Q400 NextGen aircraft, the contract value would increase to $2.29 billion US.

The first CSeries flight test vehicle is progressing towards the flight test phase following the completion of the full powering up of the main electrical distribution system in March 2013. Systems installations are being completed on FTV2; the wings are being mated on FTV3; and the fuselage on FTV4 has entered into the assembly stage – all of which are advancing to schedule.

As of December 31, 2012, Bombardier had  orders and commitments for 382 CSeries aircraft, which included firm orders for 148 CSeries aircraft.

Mar 28 2013

Nordic Aviation Orders Four Q400 NextGens

Nordic Aviation CapitalOn MArch 28th, 2013, Bombardier announced that Nordic Aviation Capital signed a firm purchase agreement to purchase four Q400 NextGens.
The aircraft will be operated by airBaltic adding to a fleet of eight Q400 NextGen airliners ordered directly from Bombardier.

Over the past year, Nordic Aviation Capital also arranged for the sale and leaseback of 10 Q400 aircraft to Marfin Investment Group for operation by Olympic Air; the sale and leaseback of eight Q400 NextGen airliners with Eurolot; and the purchase of 12 CRJ1000 NextGen regional jets to be operated by Garuda Indonesia.

airBaltic also placed a firm order for 10 CS300 aircraft and holds purchase rights on a additional 10 CS300 airliners. These aircraft will replace older-generation 50-, 120- and 144-seat jet and turboprop aircraft operated by the airline.

Bombardier has firm orders for 467 Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft.