Malaysia Airlines Signs MoU for 10 ATR 72-500 Aircraft

Released on Thursday, November 08, 2007

ATR and Malaysia Airlines (MAS) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purchase of a fleet of 10 ATR 72-500s and options for 5 additional aircraft. The agreement, valued at some 285 US $ million including options, has been inked in Toulouse by Stéphane Mayer, ATR CEO, and Tengku Azmil Zahruddin, Executive Director and Chief Finance Officer of Malaysia Airlines.

These ATR 72-500s, configured with 68-seats, will be operated by MASWings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines to expand its services in the states of Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia. The aircraft will be equipped as well with state-of-the-art technological innovations in passenger comfort, communications and navigation aid tools. The airline will take delivery of the aircraft in 2009 and 2010.

In July this year, Malaysia Airlines already signed an MoU with ATR to acquire 10 ATR 72-500s with options for 10 additional aircraft for Firefly, another 'wholly-owned subsidiary.

"The new aircraft will enable MASWings to expand its capacity by 150%. This will allow MASWings to meet the future demand in air travel within Sabah and Sarawak, and connect more customers worldwide to the two states, which are ideal destinations for business and vacations", said Tengku Azmil Zahruddin. And added: "As such, MASWings will progressively add new frequencies in addition to expanding its services to more destinations in East Malaysia".

Stéphane Mayer declared: "We are delighted with this new proof of confidence of Malaysia Airlines in the ATR aircraft for the expansion of the regional operations of its subsidiaries". And added: "We are very happy with the consolidation of our partnership and with the introduction in the Malaysian routes of state-of-the-art and highly-comfortable aircraft".

MASWings commenced operations in East Malaysia on 1 October 2007 and currently operates 4 Fokker 50 and 4 Twin Otter aircraft.

Since the beginning of the year, ATR has received orders for 88 new aircraft, some of them not yet unveiled. Since the beginning of the programme, ATR has sold 925 aircraft (414 ATR 42s and 511 ATR 72s) and has delivered 745 (397 ATR 42s and 348 ATR 72s), thus posting a current backlog of 180 aircraft.