Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica company

US-based aircraft lessor Air Lease Corporation has ordered 10 new ATR 72-600 regional turboprop aircraft, and placed options for a further 10. The aircraft are planned for delivery starting in the fourth quarter of 2011. Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Lease Corporation, says: “We are delighted to order these ATR 72-600s, which will complement our portfolio of narrow and wide-body aircraft. Air Lease has identified a number of opportunities for these aircraft among our existing and future customers. The ATR 72s will enable us to strengthen our regional offering with an aircraft that is a proven success, featuring unrivalled operating costs and good performance on short routes. The ATR has distinguished itself with a wide base of operators and strong residual values which make it a good investment for a lessor”.

Filippo Bagnato, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, says: “We are extremely pleased that a major leasing company with the strength, breadth and reputation of Air Lease is entering the regional market and has selected ATRs for this segment. The ATR turboprop offers a secure position in the segment when compared to regional jets, benefiting airlines and providing investment opportunities for the finance and leasing sectors. Our new partnership with Air Lease will enable us to further show and promote the advantages of the ATRs to many different operators in the world. We are convinced this partnership will bring many success stories to Air Lease and its customers”.

Due to be introduced from 2011, ATR’s ‘600-series’ features and benefits include:
● Best-in-class fuel efficiency and straightforward maintenance, minimizing operating costs
● Outstanding performance, including at small and restricted airfields
● The widest cabin in its class, maximizing space and comfort
● The new ARMONIA cabin, designed by ATR and Italian house Giugiaro Design to be welcoming, attractive and comfortable, and to make travelling a real pleasure
● Class-leading environmental performance
● Low weight, reducing airport and en-route charges
● A new avionics suite featuring the most modern navigation aid tools.

About Air Lease Corporation
Established in Delaware in February 2010, Air Lease Corporation is managed by an experienced team of aircraft leasing executives: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, John Plueger, Grant Levy and Mark Baer. Air Lease Corporation is based in Century City, California, and has already secured paid in share capital of USD 1.3 Billion and another approximately USD 2 Billion in long term financing facilities.      

About ATR
Formed in 1981, ATR has grown to become the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced 50 to 74 seat regional turboprop aircraft.
ATR is a joint venture and equal partnership between major European aerospace companies Alenia Aeronautica (part of Finmeccanica) and EADS.
ATR’s headquarters are in Toulouse, southern France. In 2009 the company generated a record turnover of US$1.4 billion (€1.1 billion).
ATR has sold more than 1,000 ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft, which are used by over 150 operators in 80 countries. These have accumulated a total of around 18 million cycles.
ATR is certified to ISO 14001, the worldwide standard for environmental management and sustainability.

www.atraircraft.com

ATR press contact    
David Vargas
Tel: +33 6 86 34 21 71   
E-mail: presse@atr.fr