Bombardier Aerospace announced that Atlasjet Havacilik A.S. of Istanbul, Turkey has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire 10 CS300 jetliners and take options on a further five CS300 aircraft.
Based on the list price of the CS300 airliner, a firm-order contract would be valued at $776 million US, and could increase to $1.18 billion US if the five options were converted to firm orders.
“There are several reasons why we selected Bombardier’s all-new CS300 aircraft,” said Murat Ersoy, chairman, Atlasjet. “The CS300 aircraft has the best economics in its class; it is well suited for our unique operations in hot temperature environments; and, based on its performance and economics, it will return the highest profitability in strategic markets. With its offering of wide body comfort in a single-aisle aircraft, it is the right-sized platform for us.”
“We consider airlines operating in Turkey and the Middle East to be prime candidates for CSeries aircraft,” said Guy C. Hachey, president and chief operating o fficer, Bombardier Aerospace. “Airlines in the region face revenue and performance challenges as their current fleets are composed mainly of jet aircraft larger than the CSeries aircraft. The CSeries aircraft gives airlines a right-sized solution optimized for their environment and operation.”
Founded in 2001, Atlasjet operates 17 aircraft on domestic and international routes with scheduled and charter services. Atlasjet is operated and managed by Ersoy Turistik Servisleri (ETS), a conglomerate of travel companies with tourism offices across Turkey. Atlasjet operates domestic scheduled passenger services and regular charter flights to cities across Europe, Kazakhstan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Operating from its main base at Atatürk International Airport, Istanbul, the airline also has hubs at Adnan Menderes Airport, Izmir and Antalya Airport.
“The CSeries aircraft has the range and payload capability that meet our mission requirement,” said Orhan Coskun, chief executive officer, Atlasjet. “The CSeries aircraft has excellent operational flexibility and that’s what we need.”
Bombardier forecasts that Turkey will play a key role in the transformation of the aviation industry in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Carriers in the region, especially in Turkey and the Middle East, have consistently reported increased annual revenues and capacity growth.