Bombardier Commercial Aircraft: Horizon Air converted two of seven previously acquired Q400 NextGen aircraft options to firm orders

  • Order will increase Horizon Air’s fleet to 54 Q400 aircraft; reinforcing the airline’s standing as the largest operator of Q400 turboprops worldwide

TORONTO, 2015-1-26 — /Travel PR News/ — Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that Seattle-based Horizon Air Industries, Inc. (“Horizon Air”) has converted two of seven previously acquired Q400NextGen aircraft options to firm orders. The airline retains its options on another five Q400 NextGen aircraft. Horizon Air and its sister carrier, Alaska Airlines are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group.

Based on the list price of the Q400 NextGen aircraft, the purchase agreement is valued at approximately $70.1 million US.

“As we grow our operations, we continue to rely on the Q400 aircraft’s versatility, speed and comfort to provide a satisfying experience for our customers,” said David Campbell, President and Chief Operations Officer, Horizon Air.  “In 2014, Horizon Air ventured into the Alaskan frontier, successfully launching the Q400 NextGen aircraft on new routes between Anchorage and Fairbanks, and Anchorage and Kodiak.”

“Horizon Air is one of the most successful North American regional carriers and a marquee customer that continues to showcase the operational flexibility and performance capability of the Q400 aircraft,” said Steve Young, Regional Vice President, Sales, North America, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.  “The Q400 aircraft has long been the backbone of Horizon Air’s network success and continues to be the airline’s choice as it increases its fleet to 54 aircraft.  We are delighted that the Q400 aircraft retains its status as North America’s preferred turboprop.”

Horizon Air’s Q400 aircraft are equipped with Head-up Guidance Systems (HGS) for all-weather operations, Wide Area Augmentation Systems (WAAS) with approach guidance (LPV) for ILS-like landing minima at remote runways and RNP AR 0.1 to fly curved approaches to airports in difficult terrain. The unmatched capability to land and take off on challenging runways in unsettled weather is another benefit of the Q400 aircraft.

Established in 1981, Horizon Air was acquired in 1986 by Alaska Air Group, Inc., the parent company of Alaska Airlines. At its start, the airline operated two aircraft and served three destinations in Washington state. Today, Horizon flies its 76-seatQ400 aircraft on behalf of Alaska Airlines and serves 43 cities in the western United States, Canada and Mexico. Horizon Air, which is also a codeshare partner of American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, operates both the longest (Seattle to Fresno, 748 miles/1,204 km) and shortest (Pullman to Lewiston, 26 miles/42 km) turboprop routes currently being served by regional carriers in the U.S.

In 2014, Bombardier and Horizon Air signed a five-year heavy maintenance agreement whereby Bombardier will perform heavy maintenance tasks for the airline’s fleet of Q400 aircraft at Bombardier’s service centre in Tuscon, Arizona.

About Q400 NextGen Aircraft
Optimized for short-haul operations and capable of seating up to 86 passengers, the Q400 NextGen aircraft is a large, fast, quiet and fuel-efficient turboprop. It provides the perfect balance of passenger comfort and operating economics with a reduced environmental footprint.

The Q400 NextGen aircraft is the fastest new-technology turboprop, providing both jet speed and turboprop fuel efficiency. The aircraft’s economics and operational flexibility allow airlines to profitably deploy it in a variety of ways to serve typical short-haul turboprop routes, as well as medium-haul jet markets.

Q400 NextGen aircraft are available with an optional dual-class interior for enhanced passenger comfort; an optional extra-capacity configuration with up to 86 seats for high-density markets; and a cargo-passenger combi configuration.

Including Horizon Air’s order, Bombardier has recorded firm orders for a total of 521 Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft. Worldwide, Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft have transported more than 355 million passengers and have logged over 5.7 million flight hours and more than 6.1 million take-offs and landings. The Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft program includes over 50 customers and operators in close to 40 countries on six continents. Long recognized as a high-value asset by operators, the Q400 aircraft is now also attracting growing interest from the leasing community.

About Bombardier’s Service Centres
Bombardier operates eight service centres in the United States and one in Schiphol, Amsterdam. Three of these facilities − located in Bridgeport, West Virginia, Macon, Georgia, and Tucson, Arizona − primarily provide maintenance services for Bombardier commercial aircraft around the clock, 24/7.

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, 2013, 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 Q400 NextGen aircraft in the livery of the Alaska Air Group are posted with this press release atwww.bombardier.com.

Additional information on the Q400 NextGen aircraft is available at www.q400nextgen.com.

Follow @Bombardier_Aero on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates from
Bombardier Aerospace.

Bombardier, NextGen, Q400 and The Evolution of Mobility are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

For Information

Marianella de la Barrera
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft
+1-416-375-3030
marianella.delabarrera@aero.bombardier.com

www.bombardier.com

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Bombardier Q400 NextGen in the livery of Alaska Air Group

Bombardier Q400 NextGen in the livery of Alaska Air Group