Russia’s NordStar Airlines adds up to 7 ATR 42-600s to its fleet
The carrier, which ordered 2 firm ATR 42-600s and 2 options earlier this year, places an additional order for 3 firm ATR 42-600s . The European turboprop manufacturer ATR and Russia’s NordStar Airlines today announced they have agreed the purchase of up to 7 ATR 42-600s (5 firm aircraft and 2 options). The total value of all these airplanes is estimated at some US$ 132 million.
ATR and NordStar had previously unveiled in September 2011 an order for 2 firm ATR 42-600s plus 2 options, which has now been increased with the 3 additional firm aircraft. This follows an order in 2010 for 4 firm 42-500s plus 3 options.
NordStar Airlines will become the very first operator of new ATR ‘-600 series’ aircraft in the Russian Federation. NordStar already operates 4 ATR 42-500. With the introduction of the 5 firm ATR 42-600s, NordStar will bring to 9 aircraft its brand new fleet of ATRs.
Commenting on the signature of the contract, Kirrill Buryy, General Director of NordStar Airlines, declared: “We have been operating 4 new ATR 42-500s since May 2011 and the aircraft have fully met our expectations in the difficult operating environment of Krasnoyarsk Region and Russia’s Far North. They have become very popular among our passengers. With the arrival of the new ATR 42-600s, we will further expand our travel offer, with new routes and additional frequencies within the Krasnoyarsk region. The new ATR -600s ‘Armonia’ cabin will also provide our passengers with even higher standards of comfort, including new slim seats, additional legroom and larger overhead bins”.
Filippo Bagnato, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, underlined “the renewal of the confidence of NordStar, one of the fastest growing airlines in Russia, after only a few months operating ATRs. We are pleased to introduce the new ATR -600s in Russia, which is a very dynamic market with a huge potential for the expansion of regional aviation with the most modern turboprops”.
The 3 additional firm orders of NordStar bring to 148 the total firm sales of ATR since the beginning of the year, further consolidating its commercial yearly record. ATR has also booked options for 72 aircraft since January 1st 2011.
A total of 38 ATR aircraft are currently in service in the fleet of air carriers in Russia and CIS countries, and 15 additional ATRs are on firm order backlog.
About ATR 42-600:
- Passenger capacity: 46-50 seats
- Engines: Pratt & Whitney 127M
- Maximum power at take-off: 2,160 horse power per engine
- Maximum weight at take-off: 18,600 Kg
- Maximum load: 5,500 Kg
- Maximum range with full passenger load: 801 nautical miles (1,483 Km)
About NordStar Airlines
NordStar Airlines is an efficiently developing aviation project of Russian metal company Norilsk Nickel. One of the main tasks of the carrier is to provide effective, qualitative and available air communication among Krasnoyarsk and the biggest cities of Russia, as well as within Krasnoyarsk Region territory. The carrier carries out its flights with B737NG and ATR 42-500 fleet.
For more information, visit www.nordstar.su
About ATR
Formed in 1981, ATR has grown to become the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced 50 to 74 seat regional turboprop aircraft, has sold more than 1,200 aircraft and has 179 operators in 91 countries. ATR operators have cumulated more than 21 million flights. ATR is a joint venture and equal partnership between major European aerospace companies Alenia Aeronautica (a Finmeccanica company) and EADS. Its headquarters are in Toulouse, France. ATR is certified ISO 14001, the worldwide standard for environmental management and sustainability.
Source: ATR
