GECAS signs contract for up to 30 ATR 72-600

Source: Paris Air Show News, June 21, 2011

ATR announced its first order from GE Capital Aviation Services giving another boost to the Franco-Italian manufacturer’s newly certificated ATR 72-600.

GECAS president and CEO Norman Liu confirmed that the agreement is a firm order for 15 aircraft together with 15 options, but that no leasing customers for the aircraft were being announced at the show (although GECAS claimed to have secured one customer already). 

“This is our first ever ATR order and we hope to place the aircraft globally”, he said, adding that U.S.-based GECAS already has about 30 other turboprop aircraft in its leasing portfolio that were not bought directly from a manufacturer. 

A source from the independent Ascend industry consultancy told AIN that the aircraft could be to replace aging Bombardier Dash 8s that GECAS has in its portfolio. 

“This is an important achievement for us, as every year now we have an entry in the ATR family of a lessor”, said ATR CEO Filippo Bagnato. “Last year we had Air Lease and this year we have GECAS”. He added that four of the aircraft would be delivered next year, with 11 to follow in 2013, and the options are “planned for the year after that.” Bagnato said that the order is worth around $ 680 million at current list prices for the aircraft. 

The first ATR 72-600 for launch customer Royal Air Maroc is in the static park here at the Paris show and will shortly be delivered to the North African airline. 

(in the picture above: Norman Liu of GECAS and ATR’s Filippo Bagnato seal the deal)

 

Ian Sheppard