Jets are for Hot Tubs
SEATTLE, April 23 /CNW/ - Horizon Air today announced a firm order for 15
additional Q400 high-speed turboprops and 20 options from Bombardier Aerospace
of Canada. By transitioning from three to two aircraft types by late 2009,
Horizon will gain the major economic advantages that fleet simplification
provides, allowing it to offer customers even greater fare values in the
future.
Delivery of the additional 76-seat Q400s is scheduled to begin in October
2008 and continue through August 2009. The order has a "list price" value of
US$393 million. As these Q400s roll in, Horizon plans to phase out the
remaining 37-seat Bombardier Q200s from its fleet and operate only Q400s and
70-seat CRJ-700 jets.
"Our first-hand experience with the Q400 over more than six years has
given us the confidence to invest further in the model," said Jeff Pinneo,
Horizon's president and CEO. "We have a keen understanding of the aircraft's
many advantages - its superior economics, how well it's accepted by customers,
and its exceptional fit to our unique market requirements."
In 2001, Horizon became the North America launch customer for the Q400,
making it a global pioneer in the introduction of this next-generation
turboprop. By mid-2009, Horizon will be operating 48 Q400s, the most of any
airline in North America.
The Q400 and 70-seat CRJ-700 feature state-of-the-art technology
throughout. The cockpits are equipped with the Flight Dynamics "Fogbuster"
Head-Up guidance system for improved reliability in foggy weather, a
technology Horizon pioneered for regional airlines. The cabins feature leather
seats in a two-by-two configuration so that every passenger is seated next to
a window or an aisle.
Horizon's fleet currently includes 71 aircraft: 26 Q400s, 20 CRJ-700s,
and 25 Q200s. As previously contracted with Bombardier, Horizon is scheduled
to receive an additional seven new Q400s by mid-2007. Under an existing
agreement with another regional airline, Horizon will be subleasing 13 of the
Q200s currently in its fleet, leaving it with 12 to phase out in the future.
Named 2007 Regional Airline of the Year by Air Transport World magazine,
Horizon serves 49 cities throughout California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and British Columbia and Alberta. Together, Horizon
Air and Alaska Airlines serve 90 cities and are subsidiaries of Alaska Air
Group, Inc.