US Airways places jet orders with Bombardier, Embraer ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) =97 US Airways signed deals with two jet-plane=20 manufacturers to buy at least 170 and possibly as many as 550 regional jets= =20 from Canada-based Bombardier Aerospace and Brazil-based Embraer. The deal=20 includes $4.3 billion in firm orders for 85 Bombardier jets and 85 Embraer= =20 jets. The regional jets are a linchpin of US Airways' restructuring plan,=20 replacing unpopular turboprop planes on short routes and more expensive=20 mainline jets on larger routes. The airline believes the regional jets will= =20 allow it to generate more revenue and compete more effectively. "Regional=20 jets will allow us to replace and complement larger jet aircraft on routes= =20 with poor to marginal performance, which then can be redeployed to operate= =20 in more profitable destinations," said David Siegel, president and chief=20 executive officer of the Arlington, Va.-based airline. Bombardier Aerospace= =20 said Monday the agreement includes 60 firm orders for its 50-seat regional= =20 jet and 25 firm orders for its 75-seat model. Of the 85 firm orders, 36 were previously placed by GE Capital Aviation=20 Services and committed to US Airways. The net effect increases Bombardier's= =20 order backlog by 49 aircraft. Bombardier said deliveries will start in the= =20 fourth quarter of 2003 and continue through the second quarter of 2005. The= =20 Embraer order includes 85 Embraer 170 planes, with 70 seats each. The=20 airline has the option, though, of converting the order to 76-seat Embraer= =20 175 planes if it wishes. All the Embraer deliveries will be made by=20 September 2006. The Bombardier deal includes 90 reconfirmable orders, which= =20 have scheduled delivery dates but allow the customer to cancel within a=20 specified deadline. In addition, the agreement includes 100 options to buy= =20 a variety of Bombardier regional jets. Steven Ridolfi, president of=20 Bombardier Regional Aircraft, said US Airways' decision to acquire the=20 Bombardier CRJ200 and CRJ700 regional jets endorses the viability and=20 economics of the smaller jetliners. US Airways recently reported a profit of $1.63 billion in the first quarter= =20 of 2003, due to a $1 billion government-backed loan it received when it=20 emerged from bankruptcy on March 31. The airline also received a $240=20 million investment from the Retirement Systems of Alabama, a pension fund=20 for government workers that is now the carrier's largest shareholder. That= =20 money, and other one-time items associated with the bankruptcy=20 organization, allowed the seventh-largest U.S. airline to record its profit= =20 on operating revenue of $1.53 billion. Excluding one-time items, the=20 airline lost $282 million for the quarter, compared to a $269 million loss= =20 on revenue of $1.71 billion in the year-ago quarter. The company said=20 reduced demand from the war in Iraq, as well as a Presidents' Day weekend=20 blizzard that paralyzed East Coast travel, hurt the bottom line. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.cso.gov.tt TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************