Bombardier Aerospace announced that SpiceJet of Gurgaon, India has placed a firm order for 15 Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners and has taken options on an additional 15 airliners.
Based on the list price for the Q400 NextGen aircraft, the firm order is valued at approximately $446 million US, and could increase to approximately $915 million US if all 15 options are converted to firm orders.
“India is witnessing substantial growth, and predominant growth is expected from cities and industrial towns which remain underserved,” said Kalanithi Maran, Chairman of the Board of Directors, SpiceJet. “As India’s most preferred low-fare airline, we are focused on catering to these markets which require an aircraft that could increase the reach to over 60 airports that could not be served by the larger jets and establishing our footprint in these markets. After an evaluation of all the aircraft in the 60- to 80-seat category, we have selected the Q400 NextGen airliner, which combines excellent reliability, economics and passenger comfort.”