Eurowings is to acquire up to 45 Bombardier CRJ200s and expects to place a firm order with the Canadian manufacturer by the end of the year for 15 of the 50-seaters plus 30 options.
Lufthansa, a major operator of the CRJ, recently announced it was buying a 24.9% stake in the Dortmund-based German regional, which operates 27 ATRs, 10 BAe 146s and five Airbus A319s.
The CRJs will add capacity to its current network and open new routes, rather than replace other types. In January, Eurowings announced it was buying six ATR 72-500s to replace smaller ATR 42s.
Last year the airline said it favoured introducing regional jets based around the 70-seat Fairchild Dornier 728JET but needed 50-seaters first, casting doubt on the US company's bid since it has yet to launch the 528JET.
Eurowings says it has still to decide whether it will opt for the larger CRJ700 or the 728JET for its longer term 70-seat requirement. The initial CRJ200s will be delivered over the next three years.
The German carrier is meanwhile revamping its network to meet the feeder requirements of Lufthansa following the ending of its co-operation with KLM.
Source: Flight International
