Toronto airline reaches 20 firm orders for Bombardier Q400 aircraft

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Porter Airlines of Toronto has placed a firm order for two Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners. The transaction represents the conversion of the last two options of 10 Q400 aircraft which were announced in 2006.  Add the airline’s original firm order for 10 Q400 aircraft, and today’s transaction brings to 20 the number of firm orders placed by Porter.

Based on the list price for the Q400 aircraft, the order announced today is valued at approximately $54 million US.

Porter Airlines began operations from Toronto City Centre Airport on October 23, 2006, serving Ottawa with 10 daily flights. It has since added Montreal, Halifax, Quebec City, New York/Newark, Chicago/Midway and Thunder Bay to its route network, as well as a seasonal service to Mont Tremblant, Quebec. Porter just announced a new service to Boston beginning Sept. 14, and additional frequencies to Montreal and Ottawa.

“We felt from day one that the Bombardier Q400 turboprop was the ideal aircraft for the kind of service we envisaged from our Toronto City Centre Airport base of operations,” said Robert Deluce, President and Chief Executive Officer, Porter Airlines. “The order for two Q400 NextGen aircraft announced today represents our continuing commitment to the aircraft.”

“Porter Airlines’ use of the Q400 aircraft precisely matches the operations for which it was designed,” said Gary R. Scott, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “It has the operating economics, speed and passenger comfort for high-frequency, short- to medium-haul inter-city operations.”

The order announced today increases firm orders for Q400/Q400 NextGen aircraft to 357 aircraft, with 245 delivered as of April 30, 2009.

Source: Bombardier