GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric, and ATR are pleased to announce an order for two additional ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft, and two options.

This is a follow-on to GECAS’ first-ever ATR order placed in June at the Paris Air Show and brings the total number of ATRs ordered by GECAS to 17 with 17 options. GECAS will begin to take delivery of the new aircraft in late 2012.

GECAS has leased three of its newly ordered ATR 72-600s to Brazilian regional carrier TRIP Linhas Aéreas and has signed with Jet Airways in India for another five units.

“About half of all commercial air routes are less than 500 nautical miles and turboprops like the ATR 72-600 perform very well on these stage lengths, especially when fuel costs are high,” said Todd Freeman, senior vice president regional aircraft programs at GECAS. “This adjustment to our earlier order gives us additional product to meet the forecasted demand.”

“We are pleased that GECAS places again its confidence in the ATR product for further expanding its regional aircraft offer”, declared Filippo Bagnato, Chief Executive Officer of ATR. “There are some 180 ATR operators around the world, operating their aircraft in very different environments. The ATR 72-600 is optimally suited for short-haul operations, combining lowest operating costs with optimal fuel efficiency and high standards of passenger comfort”.

The ATR 72-600 joins GECAS’ current portfolio of over 1,750 owned and managed aircraft including narrow body, wide body and regional aircraft. ATR’s new ‘600-series’ will offer airline operators improvements in performance and passenger comfort, technology enhancements such as a new avionics suite, and very high standard of commonality with ATR’s current products.

Source: ATR