Bombardier Adds Two To Aviation Portfolio

Deutsche Lufthansa AG signed a firm purchase agreement for 30 CSeries model CS100 (formerly C110) Bombardier single-aisle aircraft. These aircraft will be operated by Lufthansa’s subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. The agreement also includes options on an additional 30 CSeries.

Based on list price, the contract value for the 30 CS100 aircraft is worth approximately $1.53 billion.

Bombardier manufactures commercial aircraft and business jets, rail transportation equipment, systems and services, and is a global corporation headquartered in Canada.

In related news, Grupo Mexicana and its regional subsidiary MexicanaLink, have joined the 50 airlines that operate Bombardier's CRJ Series family of regional jets.

MexicanaLink will operate 13 previously owned CRJ200 aircraft acquired from a third party. Based in Guadalajara, the airline will start service on March 16 with two CRJ200 aircraft. MexicanaLink will initially operate several routes from Guadalajara.

Grupo Mexicana currently operates 90 larger jet aircraft serving more than 50 destinations in Mexico, North, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Europe. In 2008, they transported 11.7 million passengers.

As of January 31, 2009, Bombardier had delivered 1,527 CRJ Series regional jets, including 1,021 CRJ100/200/440 aircraft to operators worldwide.

Previously owned aircraft continue to enjoy secondary market opportunities as economical commercial airliners and corporate converted aircraft, and in service as package freighters. Bombardier Commercial Aircraft's Asset Management Group manages and re-markets the company's previously owned commercial aircraft portfolio.

Bombardier Aircraft Services (BBAS) provides business aircraft customers service and support options, including technical and pilot training at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut.



Photography courtesy Bombardier.

Zygo Changes Direction for ESI Plans

Zygo Corporation has withdrawn its recommendation for a takeover by Electro Scientific Industries (ESI) Inc.

Zygo, based in Middlefield, said the merger agreement will remain in effect unless terminated in accordance with its terms. This gives Electro Scientific, a global corporation which makes high-technology manufacturing equipment, the right to end the deal.

Zygo said it notified ESI of the board's decision following a reevaluation of the deal due to changes in conditions since the deal was announced on October 15, 2008.

Under the deal, Zygo shareholders would get 1.0233 shares of ESI stock for each share of Zygo stock.

Zygo Corporation is a worldwide supplier of optical metrology instruments, precision optics, and electro-optical design and manufacturing services, serving customers in the semiconductor capital equipment and industrial markets.

ESI is one of the world's leading suppliers of photonic systems for microengineering production applications, aligned with three market segments: semiconductors, interconnect/micromachining, and passive components.