CityJet has secured a big contract win with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) to operate a network of regional routes from Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm.

The Irish airline’s SAS contract is known as a ‘wet lease’, meaning that CityJet provides aircraft, crew, maintenance and other services to SAS when operating the routes.

Commencing in March 2016, CityJet will operate services on behalf of SAS using eight new aircraft, with an option to increase to 14 aircraft in 2017.

CityJet also announced plans to acquire eight 90-seat Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets, major components of which are manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace in Belfast.

The CRJ900 fleet will be operated exclusively on behalf of SAS, with all aircraft in SAS colours and crewed by CityJet staff.

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In addition to the eight aircraft in 2016, the contract has potential to add six further aircraft in 2017.

Pat Byrne, who founded CityJet in 1993 and recently returned to the firm as chairman, said that the SAS contract had immense strategic significance for the airline.

“Securing this contract with SAS is a major vote of confidence in our team and in our expertise, and will help support future business expansion,” he added.

Rickard Gustafson, president and CEO at SAS, said that CityJet’s planned eight new CRJ900s jets would provide efficient and flexible production of regional flights to complement SAS’s production on the larger traffic flows.

It’s been a good year for CityJet, which recorded 40% growth on its key Dublin to London City route in the last six months.

The airline also saw strong advance bookings for the new Cork to London City service, which commences today and will see up to 18 flights a week on the route.

CityJet chairman Pat Byrne (right) with transport minister Paschal Donohoe