Aircraft lessor Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) has signed an agreement for 90 ATR turboprops during the Paris air show, of which 35 are firm orders.

The deal, valued at $2.1 billion, includes a firm order for 30 of the larger ATR 72-600s and five ATR 42-600s. The Danish leasing company also signed for an additional 35 -600s on option, and purchase rights for a further 20 aircraft, the type of which has yet to be decided.

NAC says it is scheduled to take the first ATR 42 this autumn. The remaining 34 aircraft will be delivered over the next seven years.

"In the short term, we have so many talks ongoing that we may be running out of aircraft," says NAC chairman Martin Møller at the Paris air show, adding that the lessor is seeing strong demand in Asia, south and central America.

This transaction with ATR brings NAC's fleet past the 150 mark, and the lessor in the process of growing its fleet to 300 aircraft within the next few years. NAC expects to make another announcement at the show.

Møller adds that NAC has seen strong interest from clients for the 90-seat turboprop, and is thus encouraging ATR to launch the programme "sooner rather than later".

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Source: Air Transport Intelligence news

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