Bombardier nears $1.25b C Series deal with Air Baltic

Bombardier, the Canadian planemaker facing US import duties on its C Series jet, is nearing a deal to sell at least 14 of the planes to Air Baltic Corp. in an order with a list value of about $1.25b. The carrier is set to buy CS300 models “definitely before the end of next year,” Air Baltic CEO Martin Gauss said Wednesday, fewer than 24 hours after the US imposed the preliminary restrictions. The airline will switch to an all-C Series fleet, having settled on an additional purchase of the Bombardier jets after also considering Embraer SA’s E2 aircraft family. “We have made the strategic decision to go to an all-jet fleet,” Gauss said. “It’s not clear when we will place the order, but we will replace our turboprops with C Series.” Air Baltic’s endorsement provides a boost to Bombardier after the US Commerce Department slapped duties on the C Series, citing unfair Canadian subsidies after a complaint by Boeing. The preliminary U.S. ruling on aircraft “doesn’t change our confidence in the C Series,” Gauss said. “This is a political issue. It has nothing to do with the aircraft.”<br/>