Air Algérie Takes Delivery of First ATR 72-500

Air Algérie has taken delivery of the first ATR 72-500 of the 4 ordered in 2009. Air Algérie, which already operated 8 ATR 72-500s, will increase the size of its fleet to 12 with the delivery, during 2010, of the remaining 3 aircraft on order. Consequently, Air Algérie will become the largest ATR operator on the African continent.

These 4 new aircraft, all configured in the 66 seat version, will enable the national airline to propose an optimized service to its passengers, by offering more frequent flights and by opening new routes, in particular to certain regions in the south of the country and to countries in the Mediterranean basin.

ATR will also provide its assistance to Air Algérie for the installation, commissioning and operation of a new flight simulator, which is part of the plans of the airline to open a training center for its pilots in Algeria.

“Numerous years of operation have revealed that the ATR 72-500 is well adapted to the specific features of our domestic network, comprising operations at high temperature. With this addition of 4 aircraft to our fleet, we will improve and diversify our offer to passengers, within the framework of our public service mission, while maintaining the lowest operating costs,” said Abdelwahid Bouabdallah, President and Managing Director of Air Algérie. “For Air Algérie, the ATRs are at the base of our development policy, which targets at densifying the domestic network, while opening new routes to zones still isolated. We are also very happy to be able to count on ATR’s knowhow and skills in the support field. This new acquisition is witness to a partnership established over time and which is based on mutual interest.”

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