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.

Contribued by ATR