Latvian carrier Air Baltic has signed for 30 more Bombardier CSeries aircraft and taken options on a further 30 of the type.

The airline says it has executed a firm purchase agreement for 30 CS300s and options for 30 more. Deliveries of the new aircraft are set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Air Baltic has already ordered 20 of the type, eight of which are in commercial service.

"In 2017, we experienced outstanding growth and showed the world the unique capabilities and comfort of this innovative aircraft," says Air Baltic chief executive Martin Gauss. "We successfully executed our fleet modernisation strategy, and are excited to further grow our fleet up to 80 CS300 aircraft while phasing out our other aircraft types in the next three years."

The airline has previously said it was looking at more CSeries aircraft as replacements for its Bombardier Q400s, of which it operates a dozen, and its Boeing 737-300 and 500s.

The new aircraft will support the next stage of its business strategy, which targets significant route expansion in key Baltic markets Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.

"A critical part of this new strategy is the introduction of a larger and [an] exclusive fleet of all-CS300 aircraft, which are the most suitable aircraft for the markets in which we operate," Gauss says.

Source: Cirium Dashboard