Airlines Air Baltic orders up to 60 Bombardier CS300

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft and Air Baltic Corporation AS have announced, that the European carrier has signed a purchase deal for up to 60 CS300 regional aircraft. Deliveries are planned to start in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Air Baltic will firmly order 30 aircraft and has options to order 30 more. Based on current list prices, the deal is valued at approximately US$ 2.9 billion. Should all options and purchase rights be exercised, the amount would rise to nearly US$5.9 billion on list prices.

Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, said: "As the C Series aircraft program continues to gain market acceptance, this significant reorder from our CS300 launch operator is a strong testimony to the aircraft’s exceptional in-service performance [...] Furthermore, we are proud that the CS300 has helped Air Baltic maintain its position as one of the world’s most punctual airlines. The C Series aircraft is at the forefront of the small single-aisle market, and Air Baltic played a key role in demonstrating its value. In the last 18 months, we have witnessed Air Baltic’s growing leadership in the market, and we wish the airline further success with its expanded CS300 fleet.”

The Latvian airline has currently 50 Bombardier C Series on order. By taking delivery of the newly ordered aircraft, Air Baltic will become the largest European C Series customer and the second largest worldwide. Currently, Air Baltic operates eight CS300.

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer at Air Baltic added: “As an early adopter of the C Series, we took a forward-looking decision on advanced technology to support our turnaround plan leading to sustainable profitability, and today we are benefiting from the most fuel-efficient small single-aisle aircraft. With demonstrated fuel savings of more than 22 percent, the CS300 aircraft plays a vital role in maintaining our operating cost at a low level. In 2017, we experienced outstanding growth and showed the world the unique capabilities and comfort of this innovative aircraft. We successfully executed our fleet modernization strategy and are excited to further grow our fleet up to 80 CS300 aircraft while phasing out our other aircraft types in the next three years.”

The deal was made over Air Baltic´s course of its next business strategy. By 2025, the carrier intends to expand its destination portfolio. Crucial for this plan is to operate a fleet with only one type of aircraft. With the CS300, Air Baltic sees the most suitable aircraft for their markets.

Air Baltic is the flag carrier of Latvia and operates as a state-owned low-cost carrier. The airline has operational bases in Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, with Riga being the most important airport for the airline. Air Baltic serves 68 destinations in 34 countries. Its fleet consists of eight Bombardier CS300 aircraft, 12 Bombardier Das 8-400 and eleven Boeing 737-300 and -500, which are likely to get phased out in the next years.