Bombardier Aerospace and RwandAir of Kigali, Rwanda announced today that RwandAir has signed a firm order for two CRJ900 NextGen regional jets from Bombardier. The transaction also includes options on two additional CRJ900 NextGen aircraft. RwandAir will become the first operator of CRJ900 aircraft in Eastern Africa.

Based on the list price of the CRJ900 NextGen airliner, the firm-order contract is valued at approximately $89 million US. The value of the contract would increase to $185 million US should both options be exercised.

“Our two 50-seat CRJ200 aircraft have performed very well for us and have helped grow our business to the point that we require aircraft with more capacity,” said John Mirenge, Chief Executive Officer, RwandAir. “Based on our experience with the CRJ200 aircraft, the dual-class 75-seat CRJ900 NextGen aircraft was the logical upgrade. CRJ900 NextGen aircraft also provide exceptional reliability and have much in common with other CRJ aircraft. These aircraft will be configured with seven business class seats and 68 economy class seats.

“Other key factors that contributed to our decision to choose the CRJ900 NextGen aircraft are Bombardier’s customer support offering and cooperation,” added Mr. Mirenge.

“In the CRJ900 NextGen regional jet, RwandAir will have an aircraft with the best economics in its class,” said Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “The aircraft is the ideal size to allow the airline to connect its regional markets that have become too large for smaller aircraft, but too small for RwandAir’s larger jets to serve efficiently.”

Operating from Kigali as its hub, RwandAir’s fleet includes larger jet aircraft, as well as two Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets and a Bombardier Dash 8-200 turboprop. The carrier serves most East African Community capital cities with daily flights and it flies to Johannesburg, Brazzaville, Libreville and Dubai.

There are currently more than 200 Bombardier regional jet and turboprop aircraft in service or on firm order with approximately 50 operators in the Middle East and Africa. Bombardier’s Commercial Aircraft Market Forecast for the period 2011-2030 projects that the fleet of Bombardier commercial aircraft in the Middle East and Africa will continue to grow, and that the region will take delivery of almost 1,000 aircraft in the 20- to 149-seat market segments during the forecast period.

Including the order from RwandAir, Bombardier has recorded firm orders for 1,717 CRJ Series aircraft (including 268 CRJ900 and CRJ900 NextGen aircraft), with 1,661 aircraft delivered as of December 31, 2011.

Source and image: Bombardier