B/E Aerospace awarded $50 million

today announced that

has selected B/E to perform a fleet-wide upgrade of the airline's seating on 143 aircraft.

B/E will manufacture and deliver its Spectrum family of coach and first class seating for the Montreal-based carrier's Hospitality Service and Executive Class seating on its narrow-body fleet and its new Bombardier regional jets. Air Canada's wide-body aircraft will also be equipped with B/E's Spectrum coach class seating.

The program supports Air Canada's aircraft interior refurbishment, which enhances its in-flight entertainment by providing fully interactive, personalised video systems on all its mainline aircraft. The total value of today's announced program award is expected to be approximately $50 million. Deliveries under this program will begin in late 2005.

"We are very pleased to be a part of Air Canada's international growth initiative,” said Michael Baughan, SVP and General Manager of B/E Aerospace's Commercial Aircraft Product Group. “Spectrum will provide greater comfort, enhancing the passengers' total in-flight experience and will reduce the airline's total cost of ownership.”