Iraq set to make $200M plane deal with Bombardier
Government source says sale would involve five CS300s for state airline
TORONTO — The government of Iraq has reportedly been authorized to purchase five of Bombardier’s new CSeries aircraft for its state-owned Iraqi Airways.
The contract is for five of the larger versions of the plane, the CS300, according to the report from the Iraqi News Agency Aswat Al-Iraq, which cites a statement from the government’s transport ministry.
While the CS300 has a list price of $72 million, the report states that each plane will cost $40 million. Bombardier has a complicated history with the Iraq government, which ordered 10 of its regional jets in 2008.
But only four of the planes were delivered before Kuwait laid claim to the remaining regional jets stemming from a $1-billion ruling in the British courts related the seiz- ure of several aircraft from Kuwaiti Airways during the Gulf War by the Iraq government.
Bombardier would not comment on the speculation that the Iraq government was preparing a CSeries order Wednesday although the Iraq government has been public about its interest in the plane.
“We are pleased the government of Iraq has publicly expressed interest in the CSeries aircraft,” said Marianela de la Barrera, a Bombardier spokeswoman.
“I can acknowledge that as an existing customers, we are in commercial discussions on a variety of matters pertaining to its interest in Bombardier aircraft; however, these commercial discussions are confidential and we will not comment further.”
Bombardier has sold 177 of its new CSeries aircraft, and aims to have 300 orders by entry into service, tentatively slated for late 2014.