ATR got off to a flyer at the show yesterday with two orders worth a combined $234 million.
It won an order from Brazil-based Total Linhas Aereas for five aircraft (three ATR 42-500s and two ATR 72-500s) plus options on five additional aircraft worth $160m, and announced a deal with Malaysia-based Berjaya Corporation for four ATR 72-500 aircraft worth $74m.
The Total order is for aircraft equipped with the new “Elegance” cabin. The airline is an established ATR operator but it is the first time that it has opted for new aircraft. Total chairman Alfredo Meister Neto said yesterday: “The ATR aircraft are the perfect solution for the fast-growing Brazilian market and contributed fundamentally to the development of our airline.
Operating
“We have been successfully operating ATR aircraft with success now for 11 years. This order is another very important step in our long-standing partnership.” New ATR chief executive Stephane Mayer says: “The order is further proof of the adaptability and quality of our product.”
Meanwhile Malaysia’s Berjaya Air subsidiary of Berjaya Corporation yesterday announced itself as a new ATR customer with the order for four aircraft. The aircraft will be used to replace the operator’s existing fleet of 48-seat Dash 7 aircraft.
Yesterday’s sales further extend ATR’s 2007 bull run of orders with firm orders of 53 aircraft plus 15 options since the beginning of the year. The manufacturer says it will announce additional orders later in the week.
Source: Flight Daily News
