Here are two announcements a year apart. looks like Embraer won the battle of Estonian Air.
Estonian Air gets new aircraft today , 24.01.2011
Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace delivers today the first CRJ900 NextGen regional jet to Estonian Air at Mirabel, Canada. The first jet will arrive to Estonia on 25 January and starts serving Estonian Air’s regular flights after few days. Altogether Estonian Air will get three new CRJ900 NextGen aircraft, two jets in January 2011 and one in 2012.
According to Andrus Aljas, the President and CEO of Estonian Air, the new aircraft fit very well with Estonian market needs and Estonian Air’s strategic direction. “Renewal of the fleet with a modern, reduced environmental impact and with lower fuel consumption aircraft helps us to grow in terms of passenger numbers as well as to improve our competitive edge,” said Aljas.
“Estonian Air is joining seven other European airlines that have ordered or operate 78 CRJ900 regional jets,” said Gary R. Scott, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “The low operating costs, performance attributes and reliability of CRJ Series regional jets contribute to their success in all markets where they operate,” continued Mr. Scott.
The CRJ900 NextGen aircraft has a cabin configuration of 88 seats. The new aircraft is going to serve Estonian Air’s shorter and high-demand business routes mainly, like Stockholm, Moscow and Brussels. In parallel Estonian Air continues to use Boeing 737-300 and 737-500 aircraft with cabin configuration of 118 and 142 seats.
The first CRJ900 NextGen aircraft will make its first flight on 27 January 2011, on the route Tallinn-Stockholm.
Jump foward one Year.
Estonian Air to replace new Bombardiers with cheaper Brazilian aircraft, 20.01.2012
Estonian national carrier Estonian Air has received permission from the ministry of economy to replace the new Bombardiers that the airline acquired recently with cheaper planes made by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer.
„We are in talks with a competing aircraft manufacturer aimed at reaching better terms,” is how Estonian Air president Tero Taskila commented the case.
It has been only a year when Estonian Air was handed over three new Bombardier aircraft. The airline needed new planes badly since it was in the process of removing the Saab turboprops from service and closing the lease of Boeing aircraft.
The airline also announced that it was negotiating purchase of three other Bombardier aircraft. However, when the Canadian manufacturer who knew that the airline was in dire need of new aircraft started to set demands, most of which were unacceptable, the airline’s management with the approval of the economic minister Juhan Parts started to look around for an alternative.
It found it in Embraer, a Brazilian aircraft manufacturer that was able to offer a much wider choice of aircraft. Both Embraer and Bombardier are fierce competitors since they operate in the same category of aircraft.
Embraer is no newcomer (it was founded in 1969) and is the world’s fourth largest aircraft manufacturer, one place behind Bombardier. Embraer, however is world leader in the segment of regional aviation and this is what makes it so interesting for Estonian Air.
The Estonian carrier has now decided that it will shortly lease three Embraer 170 aircraft from one European airline as a temporary measure until the manufacturer is able to deliver three new Embraer 190 aircraft.
In comment, Estonian pilot coach Rein Porro said that the main reason why Embraer is better than Bombardier is that the latter have notably less space for passengers, luggage and pilots.
Embraers have the widest body in their class and they offer more legroom. Notably, Finnair has 18 Embraer planes, LOT has 27 and Lufthansa has 35.
Source: Estonia News
Gravity always wins!