CSeries Misses Alaska Deal

Horizon Airlines is likely to buy E175s.
Horizon Airlines is likely to buy E175s.

Horizon Airlines, the regional arm of Alaska Airlines, appears ready to order more than 30 Embraer E175 aircraft.

The company, which is in a pitched battle with Delta Airlines for dominance at Seattle’s Sea-Tac Airport, said it needs more jets in its regional fleet to offer better comfort and convenience to passengers.

In a conference call, airline officials said they would be ordering a 76-seat jet although they didn’t name the type. The most likely candidate is the E175, which is a competitor for Bombardier’s CSeries, although 25 percent smaller than the CS100.

The Horizon announcement comes after United Airlines said it would buy more than 70 Boeing 737s in a deal that Bombardier was vying for.

The company is still awaiting word from Delta Airlines, which is about to buy a fleet of smaller jets to replace ancient DC-9s and Boeing 717 aircraft.

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