ATR renews global maintenance agreement with carrier Azul

FARNBOROUGH, England -- Brazilian airline Azul has renewed its global maintenance agreement with ATR, covering maintenance, repair and overhaul services for Azul's fleet of ATR-manufactured aircraft.

The 10-year deal, announced at the Farnborough International Airshow, covers 33 ATR 72-600s and represents ATR's largest maintenance contract.

"When the global maintenance agreement was launched in 1996, ATR was the only manufacturer offering such a service," said Tom Anderson, ATR's Senior Vice President of Programs and Customer Services. "Today, ATR is the leader in terms of 'power by the hour' programs for ATR aircraft with over 50 percent of the market share."

The Latin American market is particularly important for the France-based ATR, which counts about 170 aircraft operated by 30 operators in the region.