SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE--(Marketwired - Feb. 9, 2014) - Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Abu Dhabi-based Falcon Aviation Services has signed a firm purchase agreement for two Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft. Falcon Aviation Services is based at Al Bateen Executive Airport and operates a fleet of corporate jets conducting VIP charter flights, and a fleet of helicopters serving the offshore oil and gas industry. The company also conducts search and rescue; aircraft management, maintenance, repair and overhaul; as well as consulting operations.
Based on the list price of the Q400 NextGen turboprop, the order is valued at approximately $61 million US.
"The Q400 NextGen turboprop's powerful engines and its Auxiliary Power Unit make it an ideal aircraft in our part of the world and allows us to offer our services to more of our clients in the region," said Captain Mahmoud Ismael, Chief Operating Officer, Falcon Aviation Services. "The engines provide substantial power allowing the aircraft to climb over the sand belt faster than any other turboprop, and the APU allows a quick cool down in our hot environment. With this acquisition, we are diversifying our business model and offering a broader range of services to our clients.
"In a 78-passenger configuration, the Q400 NextGen aircraft is well suited to our operation and offers very competitive costs," added Capt. Ismael.
"Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft are proving their high value by operating in all kinds of diverse environments, such as cold weather conditions in Canada and Eastern Europe; hot, arid environments in the Middle East and Northern Africa; and the humid, mountainous environments in Western North America and sub-Saharan Africa," said Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "We are delighted that Falcon Aviation Services has chosen to add Q400 NextGen aircraft to the company's fleet, and I wish them much success as they join the family of owners and operators who are benefiting from the aircraft's advanced technology, outstanding performance attributes, operational flexibility, advantageous economic costs, low environmental footprint and enhanced cabin amenities.
"The Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft's broad and growing operator base is also making these aircraft enticing assets for leasing companies," added Mr. Arcamone.
About Q400 NextGen aircraft
The Q400 NextGen turboprop is the most recent development in the evolution of the Q400 aircraft and the advanced successor to Bombardier's Dash 8/Q-Series family of aircraft. Optimized for short-haul operations, the "comfortably greener," 70- to 86-seat Q400 NextGen aircraft is a large, fast, quiet and fuel-efficient turboprop. It provides an ideal balance of passenger comfort and operating economics with a reduced environmental footprint.
Worldwide, Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft have transported more than 295 million passengers and have logged over 4.7 million flight hours and more than 5.0 million take-offs and landings. The Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft program includes some 50 customers and operators in over 30 countries on five continents.
Including the order from Falcon Aviation Services, Bombardier has recorded firm orders for a total of 486 Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft.
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 Q400 NextGen aircraft in Falcon Aviation Services' livery and photos from the signing ceremony are posted with this press release at www.bombardier.com
Additional information on the Q400 NextGen aircraft is available at www.q400nextgen.com.
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