Bombardier Signs With Northwest Airlines for 75 Firm CRJ
Regional Jets
TORONTO, ONTARIO--JULY 9, 2001 - 09:05 EDT
Bombardier Aerospace announced today that it has
signed a purchase agreement with Northwest Airlines for the sale
of 75 firm Bombardier CRJ440 aircraft. The Bombardier CRJ440 is a
44-passenger variant of the best-selling 50-seat Bombardier
CRJ200* Series regional jet. The airline has also taken options
and purchase rights on an additional 175 CRJ440 aircraft. The
agreement also provides Northwest with the flexibility to
substitute 50-seat CRJ aircraft for the 44-seat variant.
The value of the firm order is U.S.$1.68 billion (Cdn$2.6
billion). Deliveries of the aircraft are scheduled to begin in
the third quarter of 2002 and extend to 2005.
Bombardier has worked with Northwest Airlines to design a
44-passenger variant of the very successful 50-passenger CRJ200
Series aircraft. Incorporating customer driven modifications,
this CRJ model matches Northwest's route network and market needs.
In February 1999, Northwest Airlines placed firm orders for 54
Bombardier CRJ200 Series aircraft. To date, 20 aircraft have been
delivered with the remaining 34 aircraft to be delivered over the
next three years.
"The mix of 50- and 44-seat aircraft in a highly common Bombardier
CRJ fleet offers us enormous flexibility to tailor passenger
demand with capacity on our route system," said Mickey Foret,
executive vice president and chief financial officer for Northwest
Airlines. "The Bombardier CRJ200 has proven its value many times
over and we anticipate the same results from the Bombardier
CRJ440. It will give us one more competitive edge."
"We are delighted to have been successful in this rigorous
evaluation," said Steven A. Ridolfi, president, Bombardier
Regional Aircraft. "We value Northwest's business and are very
proud of their continued confidence in our company and in our
products," he said.
"Our CRJ orderbook including Northwest's order today now totals
2,510 aircraft - 524 delivered, 651 on firm order backlog and
1,335 conditional orders and options," said Michael Graff,
president and chief operating officer, Bombardier Aerospace. "The
CRJ has revolutionized the airline industry and continues to
demonstrate its tremendous economic worth in service," he said.
On the strength of its orderbook for the 44- and 50-passenger CRJ
aircraft, Bombardier announced a further increase in its
production rate in mid-April this year to 14.5 aircraft per month.
The 14.5 aircraft per month rate will be reached during
Bombardier's 2003 fiscal year. For that year, Bombardier targets
165 44-and 50-seat aircraft deliveries and 174 for the following
year.
Bombardier Aerospace, a unit of Bombardier Inc., is a world leader
in the design, and manufacture of innovative aviation products and
services for the regional, business and amphibious aircraft
markets. It also offers Bombardier Flexjet(R) fractional
ownership, aircraft charter and management, technical services,
aircraft maintenance and pilot training for business, regional
airline and military customers.
Bombardier Inc., a diversified manufacturing and service company,
is a world leading manufacturer of business jets, regional
aircraft, rail transportation equipment and motorized recreational
products. It is also a provider of financial services and asset
management. The Corporation employs 79,000 people in 24 countries
in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Bombardier's revenues
for its fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2001 totalled $16.1 billion and
more than 90% were generated outside Canada.
(R) Registered Trademarks of Bombardier Inc.
* Trademarks of Bombardier Inc. |
