Bombardier Aerospace has reported firm orders for 273 regional aircraft worth $6 billion since January of this year, including 234 regional jets and 39 turboprops.

In addition, the Canadian manufacturer claims 554 "conditional" orders and options worth around $12 billion from 18 different operators, seven of which are new customers.

"We have been the market leader since the beginning," said Steve Ridolfi, president of Bombardier's regional aircraft unit. "The success of our business is ample evidence that we are responding to the market's requirements."

At Farnborough, the company disclosed 142 firm orders for existing regional aircraft, plus an additional 34 orders and commitments for the newly-launched CRJ900. These orders and commitments include:

• 1 Q300 for Uni Air of Taiwan
  
• 6 Q400s for SAS Commuter of Denmark
  
• 1 Q400 for Tyrolean Airways of Austria
  
• Undisclosed: 1 Q200, 1 Q300
  
• 79 CRJ200s and 25 CRJ700s for Delta Connection carriers Comair and Atlantic Southeast Airlines.
  
• 10 CRJ200s for China Yunnan Airlines
  
• 10 CRJ700s for Shandong Airlines
  
• 8 CRJ700s for Brit Air of France
  
• 4 CRJ900s for Brit Air, plus 8 options
  
• 12 CRJ900s (LoA) for Tyrolean
  
• 8 CRJ900s for Air Nostrum of Spain
  
• 10 CRJ900s for GECAS, plus 20 options
  

Previously announced orders include:

• 15 CRJ200s and 25 CRJ700s for GECAS
  
• 14 CRJ200s and 29 Q300s for Air Nostrum
  
• 5 CRJ700s for Horizon Air (US)
  
• 3 CRJ200s for Air Dolomiti (Italy)
  
• 3 CRJ200s for Shanghai Airlines (China)
  
• 2 CRJ200s for J-Air (Japan)
  
• 1 CRJ200 for Tyrolean

Bombardier delivered 116 aircraft in the first half of this year, compared with 84 delivered during the same period in 1999 (173 total for the year).

By Paul Richfield