US carriers return jets to Canada agency
Reuters | Jan. 05, 2006
Two US airlines are returning 42 regional jets to Canada's export lending agency, which guaranteed the sale of the 50 seat Bombardier aircraft, an agency spokesman said on Thursday.
Export Development Canada provided financing to Northwest Airlines and Independence Air to help them buy the jets from Montreal-based plane maker Bombardier.
EDC says there are a total of about 1,400 regional jets (50 to 70 seaters) in operation worldwide.
"The entire regional-jet industry is 1,400 strong so it's very normal for any particular kind of fleet to have 10 percent in a transitory position and we're even under that," said EDC's Phil Taylor as he confirmed the agency had received 14 jets back from Independence.
Another 13 aircraft are expected to be returned over the coming weeks by Independence, which is scheduled to cease operations later on Thursday, he added.
Fifteen jets are being returned by Northwest.
"It just happens that we have a number of aircraft coming at the same time. That's a bit outside of the norm, but we're not very concerned. We moved three in the last quarter and 31 in the past four years," he said in answer to a question about the sector's ability to absorb the 42 jets being sent back to EDC.