Iraqi Airways has signed a firm order to acquire up to 16 Bombardier CS300s, following a letter of intent signed for the order at the Dubai air show in November.

The deal includes firm orders for five CS300s and options on another 11. The firm orders are worth $387 million at list prices, says Bombardier. If the options are converted, the order will be worth $1.26 billion.

"Following the successful utilisation of our six CRJ900 NextGen aircraft over the past few years, the acquisition of the CS300 aircraft will complement our network operations and allow us to expand into new markets," says Saad Al-Khafaji, Iraqi Airways' chief executive and director general. "The CS300 aircraft's range, fuel efficiency and comfortable, widebody-like cabin will permit us to respond to growing passenger demand and reach destinations across the Middle East, Northern Africa and Europe."

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft president Mike Arcamone says: "The CS300 aircraft is ideally suited to Iraqi Airways' expanding operations, providing the right mix of performance, operational flexibility and passenger comfort to support the airline's ongoing success in its increasingly competitive markets."

With the Iraqi order, Bombardier holds firm orders for 182 CSeries aircraft, out of 419 orders and commitments for the type.

Source: Cirium Dashboard