Bankrupt Carrier Seeks Options For 30 More

Delta Air Lines asked a bankruptcy court judge for permission to purchase up to 60 Bombardier CRJ900 regional airliners. The carrier plans to buy 30 planes outright, with options for 30 more. Papers filed in court Thursday seek clearance to obtain financing and pay pre-delivery costs.

Bombardier spokesman Marc Duchesne told Reuters, "We've signed a letter of intent, not a firm order for 30 CRJ900 regional jets, together with options for a further 30 aircraft. We will continue to hold commercial discussions with them."

The CRJ 900 is a 76-seat, twin-engine regional jet. Delta plans to use the new aircraft at its Atlanta, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City hubs.

With a list price of just over $35 million, Delta's deal would figure at about $1.1 billion for 30 planes -- assuming the airline pays full price. That's unlikely as most larger purchasers are able to swing discounts. Neither side on the deal was willing to share financial details.

Another selling point for the CRJ 900 is its two-class cabin. Industry observers say two-class cabins can boost revenue for regional carriers normally shunned by the typical business-class traveler willing to pay a premium for comfort.

Bloomberg says Delta is in talks with its regional carriers -- wholly-owned Comair and SkyWest Inc. unit Atlantic Southeast Airlines -- to discuss changes in the way it handles its regional flight schedule.

In its filing, Delta said the new aircraft "will permit Delta to expand into new markets that it cannot now profitably serve and to upgrade, where appropriate, markets being served with smaller aircraft."

FMI: www.delta.com