Aircraft
Delta Order for CRJ900s Resuscitates Bombardier’s Regional Jet Program
Pinnacle Airlines would fly 81 Bombardier CRJ900s under a tentative capacity purchase agreement with Delta Air Lines. (Image: Bombardier)
Pinnacle Airlines would fly 81 Bombardier CRJ900s under a tentative capacity purchase agreement with Delta Air Lines. (Image: Bombardier)

Bombardier Aerospace received a major boost for its sagging CRJ regional jet program on Thursday, when Delta Air Lines placed a firm order for 40 dual-class CRJ900s and reserved options on another 30. The deal, worth as much as $3.29 billion at list prices, comes as Delta looks toward the next phase of its domestic fleet restructuring, a process to involve the removal of 60 more 50-seat CRJ200s from the fleets of its regional affiliates in favor of the 76-seat CRJ900s. Delta’s plans call for a so-called “capacity neutral” transition. Bombardier has agreed to help Delta “re-market” the 60 CRJ200s.