Silk Avia, a regional airline start-up in Uzbekistan, has taken delivery of the first of five ATR 72-600 turboprops under a contract signed in 2022. Leasing group Nordic Aviation Capital, which received the twin turboprop from ATR in December, delivered it on Friday.
NAC ordered two of the five ATR 72s and Silk Avia plans to acquire the other three units directly from the European manufacturer. ATR announced the agreement in November 2022 while Uzbekhistan’s president Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Paris.
Founded in 2021, Silk Avia is now part of Uzbekistan Airways and has already operated some pre-owned examples of the 70-seat aircraft. It can operate on routes of up to 830 nm.
Uzbekistan Airways intends “to constantly expand the route network, increase the number of flights, and efficiently operate them with new ATR 72-600s,” said company chairman Shukhrat Khudaykulov. “Moreover, our common goal, the goal of New Uzbekistan, is to make flights affordable and develop domestic tourism in the country.”
ATR delivered 36 aircraft in 2023, representing a 44 percent increase from the prior year. Sales rose by 53 percent from 2022 with 40 new aircraft sold, resulting in ATR achieving a book-to-bill greater than 1. The figures contributed to revenues last year of nearly $1.2 billion, including more than $400 million generated from services.
While Asia continues to reign as the manufacturer’s most dynamic customer base, ATR also enjoyed orders from Latin America and Europe. Despite robust growth, the company said, “lingering supply chain disruptions, with raw material and component shortages” curbed ambitions to “ramp up.”
ATR has earmarked India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brazil for future demand and fleet growth. The company projects new regulations arising from environmental pressure will spur further opportunities to capture a healthy chunk of the replacement market in Canada, Japan, and the U.S., as well as in Europe.