With conversion of an MOU signed in February, Bombardier last month inked a firm contract with Air Canada regional partner Jazz Air covering 15 Q400 turboprops.
Valued at $454 million at list prices, the firm order accompanied options on another 15 airplanes, potentially raising the value of the contract to $937 million. The deal calls for delivery of the single-class, 74-seat airplanes to start in May next year.
Although Jazz describes the airplanes as “the perfect complement” to its current fleet of Bombardier CRJs and de Havilland Dash 8s, they will also happen to replicate the Q400s rival Porter Airlines flies from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, formally known as Toronto City Centre Airport.
Jazz’s mainline partner, Air Canada, last flew from Toronto City Center in 2006, when City Center Aviation–a company controlled by Porter Airlines founder Robert Deluce–evicted it from the island airport. Since then Porter has flown from the downtown field unopposed (see related story).