TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 01/31/13 -- Bombardier Aerospace today welcomed Yakutia Airlines to the growing family of Bombardier Q400 aircraft operators. Yakutia Airlines, a domestic passenger carrier based in the northeast region of Russia, will fly three Q400 aircraft, with the first one having arrived this week at Yakutsk Airport.

Yakutia Airline's new status as a Q400 aircraft operator follows the type approval that was awarded in June 2012 by the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) - commonly known by its Russian acronym, MAK. The Q400 aircraft is the largest Western-built turboprop aircraft to be awarded type approval for operation in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

"This marks a wonderful achievement and milestone for the Q400 aircraft program. We're proud to welcome yet another new operator to the family - Yakutia Airlines as the first Russian-based operator," said Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "The Q400 aircraft is tailor-made for Yakutia Airline's diverse route network that provides regional airline service to one of the largest territories in the world," said Mr. Arcamone.

"The powerful, yet fuel-efficient Q400 turboprop was selected for Yakutia's operations because of its high speed, which will allow us to cover long sectors; its ability to operate on unpaved runways; and importantly - its capability in the difficult conditions that northeast Russia presents, including high winds and extreme cold in the winter," noted Ivan Prostit, General Director of Yakutia Airlines. "We expect that the combination of passenger comfort and low operating cost offered by the Q400 aircraft will allow us to optimise our regional operations."

Powered by two new-generation, 5,071-shaft horsepower (shp) PW150A engines, and capable of flying at a speed of up to 360 knots (667 km/h), the Q400 aircraft can quickly climb to turbulence-free altitudes, and can also provide fast access to the remote airports of the Siberian region of the Russian Federation.

Bombardier has booked firm orders for 463 Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprops, and delivered aircraft are in service with more than 40 operators in over 30 countries, on five continents. These aircraft have transported more than 243 million passengers and have logged more than 3.8 million flight hours and over 4.1million take-offs and landings.

About Q400 aircraft

Q400 turboprop airliners are the most recent development in Bombardier's Dash 8/Q-Series family of aircraft. Optimized for short-haul operations, the "comfortably greener," 70- to 80-seat Q400 aircraft is a large, fast, quiet and fuel-efficient turboprop. It provides an ideal balance of passenger comfort and operating economics with a reduced environmental footprint.

The Q400 airliner was designed to meet the requirements of contemporary regional air transport, characterized by both turboprop and jet missions. Setting new environmental standards, the Q400 aircraft uses 30 to 40 per cent less fuel and produces 30 to 40 per cent fewer emissions on routes where it has replaced similar-capacity, older jets. The Q400 aircraft's maximum cruise speed of 360 knots lets the aircraft fly on demand-driven interchangeable schedules with jets. However, the Q400 aircraft can slow down to achieve fuel parity with other turboprops on a per-seat basis, while still maintaining both speed and cost advantages.

About Yakutia Airlines

The open joint stock company, Yakutia Airlines was created on July 30, 2002. In January, 2003 Yakutia performed its first flight on the Yakutsk - Moscow - Yakutsk route under its own "YAK" code.

Yakutia is an aviation market leader and is achieving stable growth in key operational performance indicators; in 2012 the airline carried 1,145,630 passengers.

The airline's fleet comprises a total of over 30 aircraft and it operates with hubs in the cities of Yakutsk, Moscow (Vnukovo) and Krasnodar. Its network includes routes in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), other regions in Russia and international flights. In the territory of the Far East federal district, Yakutia operates flights in eight of nine sub-districts, allowing passengers to make point-to-point connections within the region.

Representative offices of Yakutia are located in more than in 30 cities in Russia and abroad. (www.yakutia.aero).

About Bombardier

Bombardier is the world's only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.

Bombardier is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, we posted revenues of $18.3 billion USD. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Notes to editors

Images of Q400 aircraft in the livery of Yakutia Airlines are posted with this press release at: www.bombardier.com.

Additional information on the Q400 aircraft is available at: www.q400.com.

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Bombardier, Dash 8, Q400, Q-Series and The Evolution of Mobility are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.