ATR has announced that India’s Alliance Air will Acquire two brand new ATR 42-600s to connect the challenging airfields of the Himalayas. The aircraft will be delivered on lease from aircraft lessor TrueNoord.
From the Singapore Airshow on Tuesday (February 15, 2022), ATR announced that India’s Alliance Air will acquire two brand new ATR 42-600s on lease from aircraft lessor TrueNoord. The airline will use the new aircraft to connect the challenging airfields of the Himalayas, with deliveries expected in mid-2022. Alliance Air is the former regional subsidiary of Air India and currently operates a fleet of 18 ATR 72-600s. The new ATR 42-600s will allow the airline to operate on the short runways of the Shimla and Kullu airports, which are both located at high altitudes and subject to high temperatures. The high commonality between the ATR 72 and ATR 42 will allow for a seamless integration into Alliance Air’s fleet. The carrier will also continue to benefit from ATR’s pay-by-the-hour maintenance program, the ATR GMA, to help optimize operations and maintenance activities.
In today’s announcement, Alliance Air’s Chief Executive Officer, Vineet Sood, said,
“Our relationship with ATR started 20 years ago, and ever since we have been building a network that truly serves Indian communities, delivering comfortable, reliable and affordable air services. Thanks to the unique features of the ATR 42-600, Alliance Air will proudly fulfill the mission assigned by the Indian government to make the most inaccessible regions accessible.”
Also commenting on the order and placement of the ATR 42-600s, ATR’s CEO, Stefano Bortoli, said,
“Renewed confidence from a historical customer is the best recognition of the efforts we are making every day to remain at the higher edge of technology whilst providing concrete solutions to operate the aircraft with the most sustainable business model. The fact that we will deliver the aircraft by the middle of this year is testament both to the recovery of the Indian domestic market and the essential need for affordable and reliable connectivity throughout the country.”
TrueNoord’s Sales Director – Asia Pacific, Carst Lindeboom, added,
“We are proud to be a strategic partner in enabling vital and essential connections to be made throughout India. With this new acquisition, we are firmly establishing the whole ATR family as a cornerstone of our portfolio of modern regional aircraft, and demonstrating our confidence in their long-term value.”
Today’s order represents the third and fourth ATR aircraft that TrueNoord is introducing to their fleet, as the lessor previously purchased two ATR 42-600s to support Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Silver Airways’ development in the U.S.
Alliance Air is wholly-owned by the Government of India through AI Asset Holding Limited, and is run as an independent Strategic Business Unit. The airline operates over 125 flights daily to more than 50 domestic destinations in India.
TrueNoord is a rapidly growing regional aircraft leasing company with offices in Amsterdam, Dublin, London and Singapore. The lessor invests heavily in the latest technology turboprops and regional jet aircraft. TrueNoord is supported by cornerstone investors including Freshstream, BlackRock, Aberdeen Standard and others. TrueNoord’s fleet of new and in-production aircraft include models in the 50-150 seat class from manufacturers including ATR, Airbus, Embraer, MHI-RJ and De Havilland Canada.
Over their last 40+ years building efficient turboprop regional aircraft, ATR has reached major milestones including 1,800 aircraft orders and 1,600 deliveries. ATR sees strong potential for growth in regional aviation, including a replacement wave of over 900 turboprops in the 30-50 seat categories. The company’s turboprop aircraft represent the optimal and most sustainable choice for regional deployment at the lowest operating costs, and offer the ability to serve isolated communities living near challenging airfields. Over the last decade, ATR has held 75 percent of the turboprop market and 36 percent of the overall regional aircraft
market.
Source: ATR