SAS Scandinavian Airlines and three of its affiliates ordered 13 CRJ900 NextGen regional jets and 14 Q400 NextGen turboprops and took options on an additional 24 aircraft. The 13 jets will be flown by SAS and Estonian Air of Tallinn, Estonia, which together took options on an additional 17 of the regional jets. The turboprops will be flown by Widerøe's Flyvelskap A/S of Bodø, Norway and airBaltic of Riga, Latvia, which together took options on seven more Q400 NextGen aircraft.

Olev Schults, Chairman, Supervisory Board, Estonian Air and Mats Jansson, President and Chief Executive Officer, SAS Group said their airlines require aircraft with less capacity than their larger mainline jets and that "the Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen jetliner offers the best combination of performance, operating economics and passenger comfort."

Bombardier's CRJ NextGen aircraft were launched in May, 2007 and are achieving improved economics compared to earlier CRJ Series aircraft. These improvements come from fuel burn savings of up to four per cent and direct airframe maintenance cost reductions achieved through lower airframe maintenance requirements. Maintenance schedule intervals have been increased and tasks have been harmonized to reduce aircraft downtime and labor over the life of the aircraft.

With their reduced fuel burn, the CRJ NextGen aircraft are responding to today's environmental challenges by offering further reduction to green house gas emissions compared to their nearest competitors.

CRJ NextGen aircraft interiors include improvements designed with the overall passenger experience in mind. The passenger windows have been enlarged and the overhead bins have been modified to accommodate a larger roller bag as well as optimized to store more bags. The addition of LED lighting has brightened the cabin environment while highlighting the improved aesthetics achieved with the new ceiling panel design and dished window sidewalls.

Q400 NextGen "very attractive"

Per Arne Watle, President and Chief Executive Officer of Widerøe and Bertolt Flick, President and Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic said the features of the Q400 NextGen airliner made the aircraft a very attractive addition to their fleets. "The performance, comfort and superb operating economics make the Q400 NextGen a highly effective product," they said.

"airBaltic will start substituting its current Fokker 50 fleet with Q400 NextGen aircraft in 2009, thus increasing the capacity and efficiency of the airline's regional operations," added Mr. Flick.

The new Q400 NextGen turboprop airliner is the next step in the continuing evolution of the Q400 aircraft. Extensively revised in the same spirit as the CRJ NextGen aircraft family, the Q400 NextGen aircraft remains the most technologically advanced turboprop aircraft in the world. As with the CRJ NextGen aircraft family, the overall cabin environment of the Q400 NextGen aircraft has been enhanced with the introduction of LED lighting, new ceiling panels, dished window sidewalls and larger overhead bins. Combining these features with the Active Noise and Vibration Suppression (ANVS) system will give the Q400 NextGen aircraft passenger an even more pleasant cabin experience.

Operating costs of the Q400 NextGen airliner, already among the lowest of any regional aircraft, will be made even lower by increasing the scheduled maintenance intervals and further optimizing maintenance tasks. The Q400 NextGen airliner Aircraft Operating Manual (AOM) will be updated to reflect flight test experience which has shown that the fuel burn under certain operating conditions is lower than predicted.

"We are proud to extend our longstanding partnership with SAS and its partner airlines," said Steven Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Regional Aircraft. "This order is not only a milestone in terms of size and value, but is a testament to the strength of our relationship. SAS has been a Bombardier customer for eight years, Widerøe for 54 years, and now we welcome airBaltic and Estonian Air to our family. We are also very pleased that SAS and its affiliates have chosen our NextGen family, both turboprops and jets, to augment their fleets."

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