Thu, Feb 07, 2013
The Carrier Has Leased The Aircraft From GECAS
Maldivian carrier Villa Air, commercially known as FlyMe, is about to become the very first operator of an ATR -600 series aircraft in the archipelago. The airline will start operating an ATR 72-600 which has been delivered to the US-based lessor GECAS (GE Capital Aviation Services Limited), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing company of GE, who is leasing the aircraft to Villa Air. The aircraft, after arriving in the Maldives, will perform its inaugural flight between Malé and Maamigili, the main hub of Villa Air in early February.
This new generation ATR 72-600 will allow Villa Air to expand the airline’s fleet and boost service to cities destinations it already flies to: from Maldives’ capital Malé to airports in Maamigili, Gan and Dharavandhoo. Villa Air already operates a fleet of 2 ATR 42-500s aircraft deployed on domestic routes in the islands. The ATR 72-600 is equipped with a new full-glass cockpit and is configured in a highly comfortable 66- seat layout. The modern Armonia cabin features extra legroom, new seat trim and shapes and wider overhead luggage compartments. In addition to the performance advantages and enhanced comfort, this aircraft will bring additional capacity to meet the needs of Maldives’ rapidly strengthening travel demand and address the sustained growth of the Maldivian travel market.
“We are now introducing the ATR 72-600 aircraft in our lease portfolio and we are pleased by the strong attractiveness of this aircraft among regional airlines all over the world," said Todd Freeman, SVP and Manager, Regional Aircraft, of GECAS. With its low operating costs and its modern passenger comfort standards, the ATR 72-600 is becoming increasingly popular. Our ATR 72-600 commitments will allow us to offer even more comprehensive product offerings to our customers and help them to succeed in the years to come.”
“The Villa Group of companies has a strong commitment to the environment and this is exemplified by their choice of the most “Green” aircraft available today," said ilippo Bagnato, Chief Executive Officer of ATR. "It's an exciting new chapter for ATR today, which underscores the strong confidence that Villa Air has in ATR, and underlines the Maldivian market’s growth potential. Finally, GECAS has an outstanding track record of placing airplanes with airline customers around the world. We are pleased they continue to expand their portfolio of ATR aircraft."
(Image from file)
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