CINCINNATI, Sept. 26, 2002—Delta Connection carrier Comair is expanding the airline’s all-jet fleet today with its first 70-passenger Bombardier CRJ700. The larger aircraft complements Comair’s existing fleet of 40- and 50-seat jets. It is the sixth 70-seat jet in Delta Connection’s industry-leading regional jet program, which includes more than 250 jet aircraft among five carriers.
The new CRJ700 arrives today at Comair’s headquarters at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The aircraft is one of two CRJ700s that will enter Comair service on Nov. 1, 2002 between Delta’s Cincinnati hub and the cities of Albany, N.Y.; Bangor, Maine; Buffalo, N.Y.; Detroit and Omaha, Neb.

Fred Buttrell, president and chief executive officer of Delta Connection, Inc., and Randy Rademacher, president of Comair, accepted the aircraft during a ceremony at the new Bombardier Aerospace CRJ700/CRJ900 assembly facility at Mirabel International Airport in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
“With more seats and extra room, the CRJ700 allows Delta Connection carriers to respond to markets with increasing customer demand,” Buttrell said. “Comair now will have the flexibility to utilize 40-, 50- or 70-seat Bombardier jets to offer superior service to Delta Connection markets of various sizes.”

The CRJ700 is a larger version of the popular 40- and 50-seat CRJ100/200 series aircraft operated by Delta Connection carriers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas. The aircraft delivered today is one of 58 that Delta Connection carriers ASA and Comair are scheduled to receive through 2004.
“Taking delivery of our airline’s first CRJ700 is another way to mark Comair’s conversion to an all-jet fleet earlier this month and our company’s 25th anniversary this year,” Rademacher said. “Comair worked with Delta and Bombardier to introduce regional jets to North America in 1993. The Comair team is proud of that legacy and the way our people use these aircraft to provide our customers with great service.”
Customers will appreciate the CRJ700’s added amenities. The floor has been lowered to increase head and shoulder room; the windows were raised for better outside viewing; and the overhead bins have been redesigned to provide a wider, more spacious aisle. Additionally, all Delta Connection CRJ700s feature all-leather interiors and a comfortable two-by-two seating arrangement with no middle seats.
Delta Connection includes Delta Air Lines’ (NYSE: DAL) wholly owned subsidiaries ASA and Comair, additional regional carriers Atlantic Coast Airlines, Chautauqua Airlines and SkyWest Airlines, and codeshare partner American Eagle in California. For more information, please visit delta.com.
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