The regional aircraft manufacturer ATR and the Tanzanian carrier Precision Air Services have signed today a deal for 6 new ATR aircraft (3 ATR 42-500 and 3 ATR 72-500). The deal, valuated at $ 97 million, has been signed in Dar es Salaam between Michael Shirima, the Board of Directors Chairman of Precision Air Services and Filippo Bagnato, ATR CEO. The Minister for Infrastructure Development, Basil Mramba, has attended this signature.

From left to right and from up to down: Jacques Desbarats,ATR SVP Contracts and Asset Management, Guido Di Paolo, ATR Sales Director, Alfonse Kioko, Managing Director and CEO of Precision AirServices, Filippo Bagnato, ATR CEO and Michael Shirima, Board of Directors Chairman of Precision Air Services.

 

The six new ATR aircraft will be delivered between 2008 and 2010 and will be equipped with the “Elegance” cabin and the newest technological innovations in the field of communications and navigation aid tools.

Commenting on the announcement, Michael Shirima stated: “The new fleet of ATR aircraft responds to our desire and our need to increase our route coverage and our presence in the African skies. We are convinced that ATR represents the best choice to achieve our goal of renewal and expansion according to the principles of comfort and performance that we want to offer our passengers”. He added: “With this new fleet, we know that Precision Air Services will be operating the most modern aircraft with the highest levels of technology and quality”.

Filippo Bagnato said “We are pleased to see that with the renewal of the ATR fleet of Precision Air Services, the airline will achieve its goal of transporting its rapidly growing number of passengers with the highest standards of comfort. ATR has an important presence in Africa and our aircraft fly across 17 countries of the continent. The renewal of a fleet also means the renewal of confidence in ATR. And we are very proud of this”.

Precision Air Services currently operates six ATRs (4 ATR 42-320 and 2 ATR 72-210) and the new –500 series will allow the airline to modernize and update its fleet and open new regional routes across Africa.

Additionally, ATR and Precision Air Services have signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) relating to an educational programme to be set up in France, aimed at training a number of selected Tanzanian students in certified aeronautical maintenance engineering and certified piloting.

From the beginning of the year, ATR has received orders for 50 new aircraft, some of them not yet unveiled. 2006 confirms the recovery of the turboprop market and the success of ATR aircraft. Since the beginning of the programme, ATR has sold 817 aircraft (398 ATR 42s and 419 ATR 72s).

The –500 series: New Generation aircraft
With its ATR 42-500 and ATR 72-500, ATR supplies state-of-the-art aircraft with jet-line comfort. The advanced six-blade propeller provides remarkably low noise levels. Low fuel burn and gaseous emissions contribute to make the ATR environment friendly. All ATR models are compliant with noise regulations and have a large margin with regard to Chapter IV (ICAO) noise regulations, effective 1st January 2006.

About Precision Air Services
Precision Air Services was established in 1993. The airline has since increased its frequencies and capacity many folds with its current fleet of eight aircraft, including four 47-seater ATR 42-320, one 70-seater ATR 72-210 and one 64-seater ATR 72-210. 

The past two years have witnessed a steady growth of total passenger uplift of about 27% rising from 268,580 passengers in financial year 2004/05 financial year to 340,000 in 2005/06. The projection in the airline’s current financial year which starts on April 1st is to uplift 388,348 which is equivalent to a 14% increase until end of the season in May next year. The fleet expansion has gone hand in hand with an increase in the volumes of passenger uplift. The airline offers the widest connections to all major towns in Tanzania and, regionally, to Kenya, Malawi and Dubai.

 

Source: Avions de Transport Regional (ATR)
Picture provided and copyrighted by ATR
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