Will Be Used By Firefly, MASwings

ATR and Malaysia Airlines inked a deal this week at the LIMA 2007 airshow in Malaysia, consisting in a contract and a MoU for the purchase of 20 ATR 72-500s -- 10 planes apiece for MAS subsidiaries Firefly and MASwings.

The contract for the 10 ATRs of Firefly includes options for 10 additional aircraft, while the MoU, for the 10 aircraft of MASwings, includes options for five additional ATRs. The $650 million deal was inked by YM Tengku Azmil Zahruddin, Executive Director and Chief Finance Officer of Malaysia Airlines and Stephane Mayer, ATR CEO.

Firefly will take delivery of its first ATR aircraft in 2008, while the first ATR for MASwings will be delivered in 2009.

The ATR 72-500s of Firefly, configured with 72 seats and featuring also the "Elegance Cabin", are intended for the expansion of its network, as the airline establishes its hubs in Kuala Lumpur (Subang), Penang, Johor Bahru and Kota Kinabalu whilst it progressively replaces its current Fokker 50 aircraft.

With its new 68-seat ATR 72-500s, MASwings -- the "Wings of Borneo" -- will expand its services in the states of Sabah and Sarawak, well-known tourist destinations in East Malaysia.

"Selecting the '-500 series' ATR aircraft we have done the right choice to face the growth of our regional operations with brand new aircraft featuring the highest standards of comfort available in the regional aviation sector as well as unrivalled performance in the short-haul routes," said Eddy Leong, CEO of Firefly. "Besides its unbeatable economics, the ATR aircraft are able to land on very short runways, and burn some 50% less of fuel than a regional jet. We are also pleased to operate such an environmental friendly aircraft."

"We are delighted to sign this major deal with MAS because of the confidence they have shown in our aircraft," said Mayer. "We are also proud to add such two important carriers as Firefly and MASwings to our growing list of Asian operators."

The order marks ATR's first entries into the Malaysian market.

FMI: www.atr.fr, www.lima2007.com