More New Aircraft Orders Announced

Airlines buy new aircraft to A.) upgrade their fleet and/or to B.) meet the demands of growth. And when airlines are growing, they always need more pilots.  So who’s placing orders this month?

Bombardier announced an order for 30 CRJ900 regional jets from Delta. The 90-passenger aircraft are valued at over USD $1 billion. In addition, Delta took options on an additional 30 CRJs.

Ryanair is in the process of taking delivery of 10 new aircraft, worth USD $700 million. The aircraft will result in 50 new routes throughout Europe and will create 5,000 NEW JOBS.

Azerbaijan Airlines has signed an order for three 787-8 Dreamliners and two 737-900ERs from Boeing. Azerbaijan Airlines is based in Baku, Azerbaijan. The order is valued at USD $609 million. This will allow the airline to enter the long-haul market. The 787 Dreamliner is the world’s newest commercial aircraft and uses 20% less fuel than today’s airplanes of comparable size. It also provides nearly 45 percent more cargo capacity.

Royal Jordanian Airlines, Jordan’s state airline, has announced it will finalize a deal to buy eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Delivery is to begin in 2010. This deal is valued at approximately USD $1 billlion. Royal Jordanian Airlines is expanding its fleet from 24 to 35 aircraft. They purchased seven Embraer 195 jets last year to serve regional destinations in the Middle East — and five more will be delivered this year.

Comair Ltd., British Airways’ franchise operator in South Africa is expected to purchase six Boeing 737 aircraft this year, a sale valued at USD $76 million. South Africa’s rapid economic expansion is fueling air travel demand. British Airways, Europe’s third-largest airline, owns 13 percent of Comair.

Air New Zealand has ordered four more 787-9 Dreamliners. This is the airline’s third order for the 787. They have now ordered a total of eight. The value of this latest order is USD $700 million.

British Airways has placed an oder for four Boeing 777-200ERs. They also have options on four additional aircraft. More orders from British Airways are expected in the next few months as part of its fleet renewal project. In a separate deal BA converted options for four Airbus A320s into firm orders.

The Dubai-based airline, Emirates, has signed a contract to lease five Boeing 777-300ERs. The CEO for the airline said it was no secreet that Emirates has mapped an ambitious growth plan for the next 10 years. Emirates has a fleet of 101 Boeing and Aircraft craft.

Pinnacle has ordered 15 Bombardier Q400 aircraft for its newly acquired subsidiary, Colgan Airlines. The agreement is contingent on the carrier receiving financing from Bombardier.