Lion Group becomes ATR’s largest customer

ATR and Indonesia’s Lion Group have signed a US$1bn purchase agreement for 40 additional ATR 72-600s, hiking the firm order total for the newest generation ATR turboprops to 100 aircraft. This latest signature marks a milestone in ATR’s history, as Lion Group becomes ATR’s largest customer ever. There are currently three subsidiary airlines in the Lion Group operating ATRs: Wings Air with a fleet of 32 ATR aircraft operating in Indonesia; Malindo Air with a fleet of 10 ATRs operating in Malaysia; and Thai Lion Air, so far with 1 ATR in operation in Thailand. These additional 40 ATR 72-600s will be used to meet the growing demand forecast over the next five years both within the Group’s existing operators’ networks and to develop other opportunities for ATR operations throughout Asia and developing markets worldwide. Deliveries of this new aircraft order will start in 2017 and run into 2019.