Aircraft

Corporate CRJ200 set for delivery

By Kate Sarsfield

Tailwind Capital is planning to deliver this month the first corporate-configured Bombardier CRJ200 regional jet to Dutch company Solidair as demand for the 12- to 18-seat aircraft, dubbed the Hemisphere 200XR, continues to soar.

Tailwind has a handful of CRJ200s - purchased by a wholly owned subsidiary of Merrill Lynch from Cincinnati-based airline Comair and defunct carrier Independence Air. Five Hemisphere 200XRs, are scheduled for delivery this year, says Tailwind executive Bryson Monteleone.

© Tailwind Capital

"We are having discussions with customers now and we have others lined up," he says. The aircraft are completed by PATS Aircraft of Georgetown, Delaware, which has also designed a certificated fuel system for the aircraft that extends its range to 5,550km (3,000nm).

Monteleone says demand for the Hemisphere 200XR is strong, particularly from Russia and other CIS countries. Tailwind says the aircraft offers economics and operating performance "directly comparable with the Challenger 850", but a at fraction of the cost.

"Customers can pick up a beautifully equipped, long large-cabin corporate for a really good price of less than $19.3 million. There are also no lengthy order backlogs," Monteleone says.

© Tailwind Capital

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