Egyptian carrier places 12 firm orders for CS300 planes
DUBAI: Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier said Tuesday it had agreed to sell up to 24 CSeries aircraft to EgyptAir for a total price tag of nearly $2.2 billion.
According to a letter of intent signed between both companies, the Egyptian carrier placed 12 firm orders for CS300 planes and took out purchase rights for another 12, Bombardier said in a statement released during the Dubai air show. The deal is the second firm order for Bombardier aircraft since last month’s announcement that European plane maker Airbus would take over Bombardier’s CSeries program.
The previous sale covered 31 aircraft for an unidentified European client. Bombardier’s single-aisle CSeries program covers the 100 to 150-seat segment and is comprised of the CS100 model and the larger CS300.
EgyptAir, founded in 1932, is the oldest airline in the Middle East and Africa, and Egypt’s national airline, flying to 70 destinations in 60 countries.
Bombardier in October ceded control of the CSeries to Airbus, abandoning hope of ascending into the top echelons of passenger aircraft manufacturing alongside rivals Airbus and Boeing, but securing US market access for its new jetliners.
The European aircraft manufacturer took a 50.1-percent stake in the CSeries program in exchange for using its sales and marketing heft to lift CSeries sales.