Precision Air Takes Delivery of its First ATR 72-500

Released on Thursday, February 28, 2008

Tanzania's Precision Air Services today accepted delivery of its first ATR 72-500. This first delivery follows a deal inked in 2006, for the purchase of 6 new '-500s' ATRs. In 2007, the airline booked an additional ATR 42-500.

With these 7 new '-500 series' aircraft (5 ATR 72-500s and 2 ATR 42-500s), Precision Air Services will renew its ATR fleet, which today consists of 4 ATR 42-320s and 3 ATR 72-210s. The remaining 6 ATRs are to be delivered from 2008 through 2010.

The delivery ceremony took place at ATR's final assembly line in Toulouse with Michael Shirima, the Board of Directors Chairman of Precision Air Services, Hon Basil Mramba, Guest of Honour and Honorable Member of the Parliament of Tanzania and Stéphane Mayer, ATR CEO.

Adding to the deal signed in 2006, ATR and Precision Air Services inked an educational programme aimed at training a number of selected Tanzanian students in aeronautical maintenance engineering.

ATR reached in 2007 a record year with orders for 113 new aircraft. Since the beginning of the programme, ATR has sold 953 aircraft (417 ATR 42s and 536 ATR 72s) and has delivered 758 (397 ATR 42s and 361 ATR 72s), thus posting a current backlog of 195 aircraft.