GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) has cancelled an order for 10 Bombardier CRJ900s and shifted the focus of its portfolio to the smaller CRJ200, as the leasing company prepares to play a critical role in US Airways' orders for new 50- and 70-seat regional jets which are expected to be announced this week (Flight International, 6-12 May).
GECAS's order with Bombardier has changed in recent weeks, with the disappearance of 10 86-seat CRJ900s from the leasing company's orderbook. The number of 70-seat CRJ700s on order for GECAS has also been trimmed from 25 to 20, but at the same time it has increased its CRJ200 order from 16 to 21. The result is a net reduction of 10 aircraft to the current total of 41 CRJs.
Bombardier confirms that the GECAS CRJ900 order has effectively been cancelled, leaving Mesa as the only current customer for the new stretch aircraft. It is understood that under a three-way deal, GECAS will finance some of Mesa's CRJ900 order, which was recently increased by five to 25 jets.
Source: Flight International
