Bombardier Delivers Two Q400 NextGen Airliners to Air Cote d'Ivoire

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 14, 2014) - Bombardier Commercial Aircraft has delivered Air Côte d'Ivoire's first two Q400 NextGen turboprops and the aircraft will be showcased on Saturday, November 15 during an inauguration event in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. The purchase agreement between Bombardier and Abidjan-based Air Côte d'Ivoire, which covers two firm-ordered Q400 NextGen aircraft plus two options, was announced on December 18, 2013. Air Côte d'Ivoire is the national airline of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire.

The airline has also opted to enroll its Q400 NextGen fleet in Bombardier's Smart Parts program, which offers competitive and predictable component exchange and repair costs, as well as superior quality and availability of key components. The five-year Smart Parts agreement is customized to meet the airline's specific operational and performance needs.

As previously announced, based on list price, the contract value for the two Q400 NextGen aircraft is approximately $69 million US. Should Air Côte d'Ivoire's two options be converted to firm orders, the contract value would increase to $141 million US.

In September 2014, as preparations were being made for the delivery of the aircraft, General Abdoulaye Coulibaly, Chairman and René Décurey, Chief Executive Officer of Air Côte d'Ivoire led a delegation to meet with Bombardier's leadership team in Toronto, Ontario where the Q400 NextGen aircraft is manufactured. Other attendees at a special ceremony held at that time included His Excellency Gaoussou Touré, Minister of Transportation of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire; His Excellency N'goran Kouame, Ambassador of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire to Canada; The Honorable Joe Daniel, Member of Parliament for Don Valley East, Ontario; and representatives of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire's National Civil Aviation Authority.

"As we modernize our fleet and expand our domestic and regional route network, we will benefit from the Q400 NextGen aircraft's dual-class configuration, which provides a true business class, as well as its outstanding speed, long-range cruise capability and operational flexibility," said Mr. Décurey. "In addition, we expect that the Q400 NextGen aircraft's fuel efficiency will serve us well in West Africa, where average fuel prices are among the highest in the world and the highest on the continent."