Bombardier's C Series gets boost as AirBaltic expands firm order

Air Baltic, Latvia’s flag carrier, agreed to turn seven options for Bombardier’s CS300 jetliner into a firm order, bolstering the planemaker’s beleaguered C Series program. The seven aircraft are valued at about $506m based on list prices, Bombardier said Tuesday. AirBaltic will become the first operator of the CS300, which can seat as many as 160 passengers, when deliveries begin in the second half of the year. The airline now has 20 C Series aircraft on order. Bombardier is working to line up blue-chip customers for its flagship jet amid stiff competition from Boeing Co. and Airbus Group SE, the world’s biggest planemakers. The state-of-the-art C Series, with composite parts and efficient fuel consumption, is more than two years late and more than $2b over budget as it nears its commercial debut when Lufthansa’s Swiss International arm flies the CS100 in Q3.<br/>