Delta gets OK to buy 30 regional jets

Delta Air Lines Inc., the largest U.S. carrier in bankruptcy, got court approval to buy 30 Bombardier Inc. regional jets valued at as much as $1.1 billion.

Delta took options on another 30 CRJ900 aircraft, Montreal-based Bombardier said Thursday. Should Delta exercise the options, the value of the contract could rise to $2.3 billion, Bombardier said.

Approval of the order moves Atlanta-based Delta a step closer toward its goal of leaving U.S. Bankruptcy Court protection by April 30. Delta says the 76-seat CRJ900 jets will meet demand at its Atlanta, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City hubs.

"The fit with our fleet, timing of delivery and ownership economics made the Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft the best overall solution," said Shawn Anderson, vice president of Delta Connection, the carrier's regional airline affiliate.

Delta on Jan. 4 asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Adlai Hardin for permission to place the order with Bombardier, the world's third-biggest maker of commercial aircraft. Delta is the third-largest U.S. airline.

Bombardier's CRJ900 offers two-class cabins and 50 percent more capacity than the 50-seat models that make up most of Delta's 167-plane regional-jet fleet. Delta is among the airlines buying the Bombardier jets to cut operating costs and add more short-range flying.

Also Thursday, Delta said it will double to $400 million the amount of claims that creditors are allowed to build up before facing restrictions on ownership.

Delta said in a filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan that it agreed with the creditors committee that the threshold should be raised. The limit is intended to protect Delta's ability to offset future taxes with previous losses.

The court set the cutoff at $200 million in December 2005, allowing Delta to order creditors with claims valued more highly to sell some of them. The limit is intended to prevent a creditor from building up enough claims to gain control of the company, jeopardizing the tax offsets under Internal Revenue Service rules.

Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton said she couldn't disclose the carrier's cumulative losses.