Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr S. Aliyev / The state concern of AZAL received the second of its six ATR 72-500S airliners made by French ATR company.
The rest four airliners stipulated in the contract will arrive beginning from 2008. The airliners will be used mainly for internal flights and regional routes, according to AZAL.
AZAL has intentions to use new airliners of French ATR primarily for passenger transportations to the air ports of Nakhchivan, Ganja, Lankaran, and Zagatala. The state concern ordered two ATR - 42-500S and four ATR - 72-500S airliners. The total sum of the contract makes up some $97.2mln. That will be small airliners housing 50-70 passengers
Purchase of the six new airliners will enable Azerbaijan to renew its air fleet changing Antonov and Tupolev airliners, as well as to establish new regional routes. Filippo Bagnato, the Executive Director of ATR, announced that in 2006 the company's turnover made up $700mln. Increase was 30% compared to 2005.