Alaska Air’s Horizon Unit Orders Bombardier Q400 NextGen Jet

A Bombardier Q400 in Alaska Airlines livery

Horizon Air, a subsidiary airline of Alaska Air Group, announced that it placed an order for a Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft, while retaining options for seven more Q400 NextGens as previously agreed.  The purchase is valued at $32.6 million at list prices.

The new purchase brings the total number of firm orders of Q400 and Q400 Next Gen aircraft that Bombardier has received to date to 499. With 52 Q400s, Horizon Air is the largest operator of the plane in the world.

The Q400 NextGen is designed for short-haul operations and can seat up to 86 passengers. Over 50 carriers worldwide currently operate Q400 or Q400 NextGen aircraft.

In addition to the aircraft order, Horizon Air also signed a five-year heavy maintenance agreement with Bombardier.  Under the agreement, the aircraft company will perform maintenance on Horizon Air’s fleet in the company’s service center in Tucson, Arizona.

Horizon Air was founded in 1981, and later acquired by Alaska Air Group, which is now the parent company of both Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines.  The Seattle-based carrier flies to 43 cities in the western United States, Canada, and Mexico.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)