The airplanes, which Delta will take delivery of in late 2018, are valued at about $961 million based on the list price, Bombardier said.

Delta Air Lines will be the first major airline to use Bombardier's revamped CRJ planes with cabins that have bigger overhead storage bins, wider aisles and mood lighting.

The Montreal-based planemaker has been investing in its CRJ planes, after it acknowledged that the line had been neglected as it focused more on its C-Series program.

Late last year, Bombardier agreed to sell Airbus a 50.01 percent stake in its C-Series flagship commercial jet for a token fee of one Canadian dollar, after sluggish sales and low production rates pushed the program well over budget.

Including the order from Delta, Bombardier has recorded firm orders for 1,953 CRJ Series aircraft, the company said.

(Reporting by Karan Nagarkatti in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)