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Bombardier said Wednesday that Delta has signed an agreement to buy 20 CRJ900 regional jets with its new Atmosphere cabin design. The airplanes, which Delta will take delivery of in late 2018, are valued at about $961m based on the list price, Bombardier said. Delta will be the first major airline to use Bombardier’s revamped CRJ planes with cabins that have bigger overhead storage bins, wider aisles and mood lighting. The planemaker has been investing in its CRJ planes, after it acknowledged that the line had been neglected as it focused more on its C-Series program. Including the order from Delta, Bombardier has recorded firm orders for 1,953 CRJ Series aircraft, the company said.<br/>

State-run Kenya Airways plans to merge with Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to compete with other state-owned carriers in Africa and the Middle East, such as Ethiopian Airlines and Emirates Airline. “The deal should be completed by the end of the year, which is gaining an instrument against competition,” Kenya Airways CEO Sebastian Mikosz said. The two state-controlled companies are being brought together under one holding. “This move will help us grow our Nairobi hub,” Mikosz said. JKIA, which is managed by state-owned Kenya Airports Authority KAA, will be owned and managed by a holding company that will be 100% owned by Kenya Airways. JKIA employees will be taken over by the holding company. Mikosz said the holding is expected to bring efficient operations between JKIA and Kenya Airways, including controlling aviation-related businesses such as ground handling, fuel distribution, catering and slot coordination. Mikosz said its financial restructuring plan has paid off significantly. “But it has not ended the process of healing Kenya Airways,” he said. “We must continue to fix revenue and cost issues, among many other necessary measures.”<br/>