MONTRÉAL,(GLOBE NEWSWIRE/Knowledge Bylanes) — Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that a subsidiary of Chorus Aviation Inc. (“Chorus Aviation”) has finalized a firm purchase agreement for nine CRJ900 aircraft. These aircraft will be operated by Jazz Aviation LP, a subsidiary of Chorus Aviation, under the Air Canada Express banner, making them the first Canadian operator of the new ATMOSPHÈRE cabin for CRJ Series regional jets.

Based on the list price of the CRJ900 aircraft, the order is valued at approximately $437 million U.S.

“We are delighted that Chorus and Jazz have chosen Bombardier products for the growth and renewal of their fleet. It reaffirms their confidence in the value that the CRJ Series provides to airlines,” said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “The CRJ900 aircraft is ideally suited to growing markets and is recognized for its superior performance, economics and passenger comfort.”

“The addition of these new CRJ900 aircraft is part of the ongoing modernization of our Jazz fleet,” said Joseph Randell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chorus. “These aircraft provide unit operating costs that are amongst the lowest of any regional aircraft, allowing us to more effectively compete while addressing changing market demand.”

Jazz, under the Air Canada Express brand, will operate the CRJ900 in a dual-class cabin configuration with 76 seats. The airline intends to take delivery of their first aircraft with the latest enhancement to the CRJ Series regional jets – the ATMOSPHÈRE cabin in the first half of 2020.