Garuda Confirmed as CRJ1000 NextGen Customer and May Take 36

Bombardier Aerospace and Indonesian flag carrier PT. Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. confirmed at the Singapore Airshow on February 15 that Garuda is the unidentified customer which ordered six CRJ1000 NextGen regional jets and placed 18 options in a deal announced by Bombardier on February 10.

As previously announced, based on the list price of the Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen, the airline’s firm order is valued at approximately US$297 million and could increase to approximately $1.32 billion should Garuda Indonesia exercise all  its 18 options.

Garuda Indonesia will be the launch customer for the the CRJ1000 NextGen regional jet in the Asia-Pacific region.

Garuda Indonesia was confirmed on February 15, 2012 at the Singapore Airshow as the unnamed customer which had ordered six Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen regional jets and optioned 18 more on February 10. Garuda also revealed at the show that it intended to acquire 12 more CRJ1000 NextGens, reportedly from leasing company Nordic Aviation Capital

The two companies also revealed that Garuda is planning to acquire up to 12 more CRJ1000 NextGens. Reports from the Singapore Airshow 2012 indicate these aircraft will come from leasing and financing company Nordic Aviation Capital, which has not yet been announced as a customer for the CRJ1000 NextGen.

This may mean Bombardier announcing an order for CRJ1000 NextGens from Nordic Aviation Capital at some future date, unless the leasing company sources the aircraft for Garuda Indonesia by buying and re-marketing some of the CRJ1000 NextGens already in service with Air Nostrum and Brit Air.

“The Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen airliner’s superior economics, outstanding fuel economy and excellent passenger comfort ideally meet our requirement for 100-seat aircraft to service domestic and regional markets from five regional hubs,” said Emirsyah Satar, president and chief executive officer, Garuda Indonesia. “The addition of the CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft will be integral to our network expansion and growth markets.”

“The CRJ1000 NextGen regional jet continues to perform beyond expectations with its current operators, and we are thrilled to welcome Garuda Indonesia as the aircraft’s launch customer in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Mike Arcamone, president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “The CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft is achieving the lowest seat-mile costs in its market segment; delivering exceptional reliability; and contributing to more sustainable aviation with its reduced environmental footprint.

“We are also thrilled that Garuda Indonesia has announced that it intends to acquire additional new CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft,” added Arcamone.

Including the order from Garuda Indonesia, more than 300 Bombardier CSeries, CRJ and Q-Series commercial aircraft are on order, or are currently operating in the Asia-Pacific region. Bombardier forecasts that the Asia-Pacific region (including China) will take delivery of approximately 4,000 aircraft in the 20-to-149-seat category over the next 20 years.

Worldwide, CRJ-series aircraft are in service with more than 60 airlines and have logged more than 31 million flight hours and 26 million take-off and landing cycles. In addition to airline operations, more than 30 customers operate corporate variants of Bombardier CRJ-series aircraft.

Including the order from Garuda Indonesia, Bombardier has recorded firm orders for 1,715 CRJ-series aircraft, with 1,661 delivered as of December 31, 2011.