ATR and Indonesia's carrier LION AIR today inked an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) for 10 firm ATR 72-500 with options for 10 additional aircraft. The deal, announced on the occasion of the Indodefence Air show in Jakarta, is valued at more than US $ 380 million, including options, and was inked in the presence of His Excellency Bapak Yusuf Kalla, Vice-president of the Republic of Indonesia, and Juwono Sudarsono, Minister of Defense. These aircraft will be the first new ATR 72-500s to fly the Indonesia's skies.

These 72-seat aircraft will be operated by LION AIR's subsidiary WINGS AIR, and will be equipped with the "Elegance" cabin, higher power rated PW 127M engines and the latest technological innovations in navigation aid and communications tools. Aircraft deliveries will start in 2009. LION AIR is the leader in domestic traffic in Indonesia.

Commenting on the signature, Rusdi Kirana, LION AIR CEO, said: "These aircraft are for our subsidiary WINGS AIR and the reason we want these aircraft is for our feeder service to support our Boeing 737-900ER operations. With our brand new fleet of ATR 72-500s, we will be able to develop a strong low-cost network, feeding LION AIR's major hubs." He concluded: "LION AIR has chosen ATR because they have a big support network, which was a very important issue for us. This is coming from the presence of their Support Center in Singapore, the strong presence of ATR aircraft in the South East Asia, and the well-known and recognized support provided by the manufacturer to its regional operators."

Stéphane Mayer, ATR CEO, stated: "We are pleased to ink this agreement with LION AIR and to include such a prestigious carrier as a new ATR operator in Asia. With its brand new fleet of ATR 72-500s, LION AIR will operate the most fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly regional aircraft, while providing its passengers with the most advanced comfort." He added: "Today's deal with LION AIR is also very important for us in order to increase our presence in the expanding Indonesian market and continue the growth of our large fleet in South East Asia, which has become a real booming market in the last three years."

Including the 10 firm orders of today's MoU, ATR has sold, since the beginning of the programme, 968 aircraft (419 ATR 42s and 549 ATR 72s), and has delivered 799 (401 ATR 42s and 398 ATR 72s), thus posting a current backlog of 169 aircraft.