Aircraft financing and leasing company GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and ATR have signed a contract for up to 10 ATR 72-600 aircraft. The deal includes five firm orders and five options for deliveries beginning in 2015.
ATR said the order confirms the importance of the leasing market for its aircraft, a signal of strong customer demand and high residual value.
GECAS’s Norman Liu said: “We have seen significant market interest in the ATRs and that is why we have added more of them to our portfolio. These aircraft will support the strong growth in regional air transport we anticipate over the coming years.”
Including the GECAS order, since 2010 lessors have purchased more than 100 new ATR-600 aircraft, contributing to ATR’s nearly 75 per cent of total orders of regional aircraft up to 90 seats.
Meanwhile ATR and the Saudi Arabian Private operator Alpha Star Aviation Services have announced an order for two ATR 72-600s, which will join an ATR 42-600 already in service. The new order makes Alpha Star the first operator of the ATR-600 series in the Middle East.
