Irish CityJet to option 6 more Russian-made airliners

Irish regional airline CityJet has agreed to option six more Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) airliners with a $210 million list price, the Irish Independent reported.

The airline plans to turn an existing 10-order option for Russian airplanes into orders, according to CityJet founder and executive chairman Pat Byrne. The company also placed an order for up to 14 Bombardier aircraft. The jets will replace the airline’s aging fleet.

"We're shaping up well for 2016," Byrne told the Irish Independent newspaper. "Winning the SAS contract, ordering the Superjets and Bombardiers means we're now in implementation mode.”

CityJet’s fleet renewal and expansion comes as a result of the airline’s strong performance in 2015. It’s planning more services to Italy and Scandinavia.

In October, CityJet announced that it had chosen the SSJ100 to enhance its fleet and network development program. The company had placed an order for 15 Russian-made aircraft with an option to buy 10 more.

The first deliveries of four aircraft are scheduled for the first quarter of 2016, with an additional 11 planes in 2017.

The 98-seat SSJ100, developed by the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company, is an advanced commercial aircraft which can be operated on short-to-medium range routes, and has a range of 4,500 kilometers.