Dubai 2015: AirBaltic named as launch customer for the stretched CS300

Latvian national carrier AirBaltic is to be launch customer for the stretched CS300 version of Bombardier's CSeries regional jet, the manufacturer announced at the Dubai Airshow yesterday.
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The news came as Bombardier Commercial Aircraft (BCA) president Fred Cromer told an audience that the flight-test process for the delayed regional jet was now virtually complete: “Just a couple more flights and a few more days and we’ll make the announcement,” he said.
Whereas many new aircraft entered service with their manufacturers chasing previously announced targets in areas such as weight and range, the CSeries had met or exceeded all its goals, he said.
Bombardier has previously said that interest in the troubled programme has perked up in recent months as potential clients have seen the aircraft approaching certification, which Cromer confirmed was due to happen before the end of the year.
First deliveries to Swiss, launch customer for the baseline CS100 model, will follow in 2016, with the CS300 entering service six months later.
Cromer declined to say which Middle East customer would be the first to receive the 110-150-seater. Currently, Gulf Air, SaudiGulf Airlines, Iraqi Airways and Falcon Aviation Services have signed up for the aircraft.
Questions were raised as to the fate of a potential Jordanian order. Petra Airlines had signed a letter of intent for two aircraft but, since then, the airline had become Air Arabia Jordan. Sharjah-based Air Arabia operates an all-Airbus fleet of more than 40 A320s.
John Kassis, BCA vice-president, Middle East and Africa sales, would say only that negotiations were under way with Air Arabia on the fate of the two aircraft. “It’s a good opportunity for us to expand discussions,” he said.
Asked about progress with Saudi Arabian start-up SaudiGulf Airlines, which has been trying to finalise approvals to begin operations with the Saudi regulator for a considerable period, Cromer would say only that, as an important customer, “we’re staying very close to them”. He would not comment on whether the airline had asked for a deferral on delivery dates because of the continuing delay in obtaining an air operator’s certificate.