Alaska Air Group Places Order for Q400 NextGen Aircraft; Confirms Five-year Heavy Maintenance Agreement for Fleet

- Horizon Air cements its standing as largest operator of Q400 turboprops worldwide with 52 aircraft

- Brings firm orders of Q400 aircraft sold to 499

- Bombardier performing heavy maintenance for Horizon's fleet at its Tucson, Arizona facility

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Jul 15, 2014, 06:01 ET

TORONTO, July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Seattle-based Horizon Air Industries, Inc. has signed a firm purchase agreement for one Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprop airliner. The airline retains its options on another seven Q400 NextGen aircraft as announced previously. Additionally, Bombardier and Horizon Air confirmed they have signed a five-year heavy maintenance agreement whereby Bombardier will perform heavy maintenance tasks for the airline's fleet of 52 Q400 aircraft at Bombardier's service centre in Tucson, Arizona.

Based on the list price of the Q400 NextGen aircraft, the aircraft agreement is valued at approximately $32.6 million US.

"The Q400 aircraft has long been the backbone of our network success and today we are pleased to confirm we are taking another Q400 NextGen aircraft as we look to increase our network capacity with aircraft that provide comfort and speed," said Glenn Johnson, Horizon Air President. "As the largest operator of the Q400 aircraft, Horizon will be well served by having Bombardier's expertise as our aircraft maintenance provider."

"We're thrilled that Horizon Air, a well-regarded regional airline, is our long-term customer of almost 30 years and continues to look to Bombardier for its regional aircraft solutions, taking us to the cusp of our milestone 500th Q400 aircraft order," said Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "Our Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft remain North America's preferred turboprop because they provide an unmatched combination of fuel efficiency, flexibility and performance."

Established in 1981, Horizon Air was acquired in 1986 by Alaska Air Group, Inc., the parent company of Alaska Airlines. At its start, the airline operated two aircraft and served three destinations in Washington state. Today, Horizon flies 51 76-seat Q400 aircraft on behalf of Alaska Airlines and serves 43 cities in the western United States, Canada and Mexico.

About Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft
With the introduction of the Q400 NextGen aircraft, Bombardier invented the modern turboprop. Optimized for short-haul operations and seating up to 86 passengers, the aircraft is a large, fast, quiet and fuel-efficient turboprop that provides the perfect balance of passenger comfort, performance and operational flexibility with the lowest seat-mile costs in the short-haul regional market. With its jet-like speed, the Q400 NextGen aircraft can be profitably deployed in medium-haul jet markets. Now available in optional dual class, extra capacity and passenger-cargo combi configurations, the Q400 NextGen aircraft's versatility positions it to once again reshape the turboprop market through profitable growth.

Including Horizon Air's order, Bombardier has recorded firm orders for a total of 499 Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft. Worldwide, Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft have transported more than 295 million passengers and have logged over 4.7 million flight hours and more than 5.0 million take-offs and landings. The Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft program includes over 50 customers and operators in approximately 40 countries on five continents.

About Bombardier's Service Centres
Bombardier operates eight service centres in the United States − each of which received the FAA's 2011 AMT Diamond Award of Excellence − and one service centre in Schiphol, Amsterdam. Three of these facilities − located in Bridgeport, West Virginia, Macon, Georgia, and Tucson, Arizona − primarily provide maintenance services for Bombardier commercial aircraft around the clock, 24/7.

About Bombardier
Bombardier is the world's only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.

Bombardier is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, we posted revenues of $18.2 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Notes to editors

Images of Q400 NextGen aircraft are posted with this press release at www.bombardier.com.

Additional information on the Q400 NextGen aircraft is available at www.q400nextgen.com.

Follow @Bombardier_Aero on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates from Bombardier Aerospace.

Bombardier, NextGen, Q400 and The Evolution of Mobility are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

www.bombardier.com

SOURCE Alaska Air Group