Lease Corporation Int'l Signs Contract For 20 Planes, 20 Options

Bombardier Aerospace announced Monday that Lease Corporation International Aviation (New Buildings) Limited has signed a firm purchase agreement for three CS100 and 17 CS300 jetliners, marking the second customer for the upcoming narrowbody airliner intended to compete head-on with smaller variants of the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 lines.

"This firm order for both CS100 and CS300 aircraft adds to the momentum we anticipated for CSeries aircraft following the initial firm order by Deutsche Lufthansa AG," said Gary R. Scott, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "Moreover, LCI's purchase confirms the flexibility designed into this technologically advanced aircraft family as required by all our customers, but especially leasing companies."

The purchaser, which also took options on a further 20 CSeries aircraft, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lease Corporation International Limited (LCI). LCI is a privately owned aircraft leasing company that owns and leases planes to major airlines.

Based on list prices, LCI's firm order for 20 CSeries aircraft is valued at approximately $1.44 billion US.

The launch of the CSeries family of aircraft was announced at the Farnborough Air Show on July 13, 2008. Between the leasing company and Lufthansa, Bombardier has 50 firm orders for the CSeries, with the first planes scheduled for entry into service in 2013.

FMI: www.nowisthefuture.com, www.aero.bombardier.com