Vietnam Airlines brings to 16 its fleet of ATR 72-500s

On the occasion of the Paris Air Show, the national-flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and ATR today inked an agreement for the purchase of 2 additional new ATR 72-500s. With the signature of these two 68-seat, PW 127M powered aircraft, worth US $ 41 million, Vietnam Airlines brings to 16 the number of ATR 72-500s acquired since 2001. In addition to the signing ceremony, the airline today also accepted delivery at the Air Show of its 4th ATR 72-500, which is the first in the new livery of Vietnam Airlines.

The airline will take delivery of the remaining 12 ATR 72-500s currently on order over the next two years and will progressively proceed to harmonize its regional fleet, which today includes also 7 ATR 72-200s aircraft, on the modern -500 series. The fleet of 16 ATR 72-500s will enable the Vietnamese flag carrier to expand its domestic and regional operations with aircraft featuring the highest standards of comfort and the lowest seat-mile costs of the regional aviation. The expansion of its regional operations responds to the aim of Vietnam Airlines to continue to develop its position as a leading carrier in the region.

Commenting on the deal, Pham Ngoc Minh, President and CEO of Vietnam Airlines, declared: “We have been successfully operating ATRs since 1992, and their low operating costs have clearly contributed to the success of our short-haul operations. In order to cope with the development of the demand for regional air connectivity both in Vietnam and in the surrounding countries, we want to propose to our passengers aircraft well-reputed for their reliability and their comfortable cabin interiors”. He added: “The ability of the ATRs to operate in regions which cannot be reached by other aircraft is also a key factor of our choice, as with the ATRs we are making a strong contribution to the expansion of tourism and business in the various regions of Vietnam.”

Stéphane Mayer, ATR Chief Executive Officer, underlined “the importance of Vietnam Airlines as part of the ATR success in Asia, where we have booked more than the half of our total orders in the last four years. We are proud of counting such a prestigious airline as Vietnam Airlines among our list of some 25 Asian operators”. He added: “After the two previous contracts signed in 2007 and 2008, we are very pleased to further expand such an important partnership for us and to contribute to the Vietnam Airlines growth plan with aircraft featuring the lowest emissions of CO2 of the regional aviation, and thus contributing to preserve the environment in South East Asia.”

Since the beginning of the programme, ATR has sold 998 aircraft (424 ATR 42s and 574 ATR 72s).

With its ATR 42-500 and ATR 72-500, ATR supplies state-of-the-art aircraft with the highest standards of comfort. The advanced six-blade propeller provides remarkably low noise levels. All ATR models are compliant with noise regulations and have a large margin with regard to Chapter IV (ICAO) regulations. The ‘-500 series’ feature the lowest fuel consumption per passenger and CO2 emissions of the regional aviation, thus contributing to make ATR the “Green Player” of the regional aviation.

Founded in 1956 as Vietnam Civil Aviation and established in 1993 as the national flag carrier under its current name, Vietnam Airlines has tapped great potentials for growth over the last fifteen years. The airline currently operates a young fleet of 52 modern aircraft and plans to expand its fleet to 104 and 150 aircraft by 2015 and 2020, respectively. As for the network, Vietnam Airlines is now flying to 19 domestic cities throughout Vietnam and 23 international destinations. The airline has set itself the target of serving 11 million passengers by 2010 throughout a strategically developed network of long haul flights and local and regional connections. It is also one of few airlines worldwide stated making profit last year.

Toulouse, Southern France-based regional aircraft manufacturer ATR is the world leader in the 50 to 74-seat turboprop market. ATR is an equal partnership between Alenia Aeronautica (a Finmeccanica company) and EADS. In 2008, ATR posted an annual turnover record, with US $ 1.3 billion. ATR is certified ISO 14001, the worldwide standard in the field of environmental respect.

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