MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC--(Marketwired - April 12, 2016) - Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that Latvian flag carrier Air Baltic Corporation AS (airBaltic) has converted its remaining seven option aircraft to firm. This latest order brings airBaltic's total firm order to 20 CS300 aircraft. This agreement follows the airline's conversion of three option aircraft announced in February 2014. The original order for 10 firm CS300 aircraft with options for another 10 was announced on December 20, 2012. The Riga-based airline will be the first customer in the world to operate the CS300 aircraft when it takes delivery in the second half of 2016 - an excellent companion to its existing 12 Q400 aircraft.
Based on the list price of the CS300 airliner, this firm order is valued at approximately $506 million US.
"Our fleet modernization continues as we proudly increase our all-new CS300 aircraft to a fleet of 20 technologically-advanced jetliners in order to support our 'Horizon 2021' business plan. This will substantially improve the connectivity of the Baltic region with Western Europe and the Eastern markets - all of which will help stimulate the economies of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, and create new jobs," said Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer, airBaltic. "The CS300 aircraft will improve our passenger experience and convenience as we position ourselves for growth, reaching new destinations due to the increased capabilities of our new jets joining us later this year."
"We are delighted that our CS300 launch operator, airBaltic has chosen to increase its firm order position as the airline embarks on transitioning to an all-Bombardier fleet," said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "This demonstrates the growing collaboration between our two companies and we congratulate airBaltic on its achievements - including recently being recognized as the World's Most Punctual Airline, in addition to being named one of the World's Most Innovative Airlines. With the production of the airBaltic's first CS300 aircraft well underway, we look forward to its first commercial flight."
About C Series Aircraft
The C Series family of aircraft, representing the fusion of performance and technology, is a 100 per cent all-new design that offers operators up to US $13 million extra value per aircraft.
By focusing on the 100- to 150-seat market segment, Bombardier has designed the C Series aircraft to deliver unparalleled economic advantage to operators and to open up new opportunities for single-aisle aircraft operations.
By employing advanced materials, state-of-the-art technologies and advanced aerodynamics, combined with the groundbreaking Pratt & Whitney PurePower® PW1500G engine, the C Series aircraft is delivering a greater-than 10 per cent unit cost advantage compared to similarly-sized, re-engined aircraft.
In addition to delivering best-in-class economics with the C Series aircraft, Bombardier has placed considerable emphasis on cabin design to ensure a superior passenger experience. The aircraft offers 19-inch-wide seats that set a new industry standard, large overhead bins that accommodate a carry-on bag for each passenger, and the largest windows in the single-aisle market. Together these attributes create a widebody feel that offers passengers an unparalleled level of comfort.
The game-changing C Series aircraft offers the best-in-class environmental scorecard making it the quietest in-production commercial jet in its class. With a combination of outstanding short-field capability and a maximum range of up to 3,300 NM (6,112 km), the C Series aircraft is uniquely positioned for varied types of operations.
Bombardier has booked orders and commitments for 678 C Series aircraft, which include firm orders for 250.
About airBaltic
Established in 1995, airBaltic (AIR BALTIC CORPORATION) is a joint stock company. Its primary shareholder is the Latvian state, which holds 99.8% of the stock. As the world's most punctual airline connecting over 60 destinations from its home base in Riga, Latvia, airBaltic offers convenient connections via Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, CIS and the Middle East. In addition, airBaltic also offers new direct flights from Tallinn and Vilnius.
The airBaltic fleet consists of 24 aircraft - 12 Boeing 737 and 12 Bombardier Q400 aircraft. airBaltic has received numerous international awards for excellence, innovative services, and achievements in reshaping its business. In 2012, airBaltic was ranked by Airlinetrends among the Top 10 airlines globally for innovations. airBaltic achieved the best on-time performance globally for two years running in 2014 and 2015.
About Bombardier
Bombardier is the world's largest 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 North America Index. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, we posted revenues of $18.2 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier
Notes to Editors
Images of the CS300 aircraft in airBaltic's livery are posted with this press release at www.bombardier.com.
For more information on C Series aircraft, visit http://news.commercialaircraft.bombardier.com.
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