MIRABEL, QUÉBEC--(Marketwired - Dec. 10, 2013) - Bombardier Aerospace today officially welcomed Delta Air Lines' subsidiary Endeavor Air to the family of CRJ900 NextGen aircraft operators following the delivery commencement of the aircraft ordered by Delta Air Lines in December 2012. Delta has previously announced that the 40 firm-ordered aircraft will be operated by Endeavor Air under the Delta Connection brand. The order also includes options for 30 additional CRJ900 NextGen aircraft.
During a celebratory event surrounding the milestone CRJ900 NextGen aircraft that bears Serial Number 15300, Bombardier hosted Endeavor Air employees, including Ryan Gumm, President and Chief Executive Officer, Endeavor Air, at the company's Mirabel, Québec facilities, where the CRJ Series aircraft are manufactured.
"We are excited Endeavor Air will be operating these new CRJ900 NextGen aircraft and look forward to working with Bombardier on the delivery of the remaining aircraft," said Mr. Gumm. "Two-class CRJ aircraft are an important part of our go-forward fleet strategy as Delta continues upgrading aircraft to reflect the in-flight experience our customers prefer."
"Bombardier's pace-setting family of CRJ regional jets continues to set the standards for other manufacturers to follow, and Delta's selection of the CRJ900 NextGen airliner to complement its fleet - after a very vigorous evaluation process -- was a strong testimonial for the aircraft," said Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "We look forward to continuing a strong relationship with Delta and we congratulate our friends at Endeavor Air who will be operating the aircraft under the Delta Connection brand."
Delta Connection carriers currently operate more than 190 CRJ700 and CRJ900 dual-class aircraft, and a total CRJ aircraft fleet of more than 400 jets.
As of September 30, 2013, Bombardier had recorded firm orders for 1,779 CRJ Series aircraft, including 306 CRJ900 and CRJ900 NextGen aircraft. Worldwide, CRJ Series aircraft are in service with more than 60 airlines and more than 30 customers operate corporate variants of the aircraft. The aircraft are operating in over 50 countries on six continents, and on average, a CRJ aircraft takes off every 10 seconds somewhere in the world. CRJ Series aircraft have transported more than 1.4 billion passengers and have logged more than 38 million flight hours and over 32 million takeoffs and landings.
CRJ900 NextGen aircraft
Like other members of the CRJ Series family of aircraft, the light weight and advanced aerodynamics of the CRJ900 NextGen regional jet combine to deliver improved efficiency and reduced operating costs compared to other aircraft in its class. The combination of a larger winglet and other optimizations since the launch of the CRJ900 aircraft, give the CRJ900 NextGen regional jet excellent airfield performance and en-route fuel consumption. All CRJ NextGen aircraft feature new interiors with larger overhead luggage bins, larger windows, improved LED cabin lighting and redesigned ceiling panels and sidewalls.
About Endeavor Air
Endeavor Air (formerly Pinnacle Airlines Inc.), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines that employs more than 4,000 aviation professionals. Flying as Delta Connection, it operates an all-jet fleet of more than 170 regional aircraft on an average of 750 daily flights to more than 100 cities in the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., Endeavor operates service from the majority of Delta's domestic hubs. Learn more about Endeavor Air at endeavorair.com.
About Bombardier
Bombardier is the world's only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.
Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, we posted revenues of $16.8 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.
Notes to editors
Images of CRJ900 NextGen aircraft in the livery of Delta Air Lines and Endeavor Air, as well as photos from today's event are posted with this release in the news releases section at www.aero.bombardier.com
Additional information on CRJ NextGen aircraft is available at www.crjnextgen.com.
Follow @Bombardier_Aero on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates from Bombardier Aerospace.
Bombardier, CRJ, CRJ700, CRJ900, NextGen and The Evolution of Mobility are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.