Air Algérie Receives Its First ATR 72-600

Air Algérie has taken delivery of its first ATR 72-600 today to Air Algérie, in a ceremony which also represents the 200th delivery of an ATR 600-series aircraft.

Algiers-based Air Algérie ordered three ATR 72-600 turboprop regional airliners earlier this year and the aircraft delivered on December 22 is the first of these aircraft.

Air Algérie, Algeria’s national carrier, took delivery of its first ATR 72-600 on December 22, 2014

The ATR 72-600s will join an existing fleet of 12 ATR 72-500 turboprops already in service with Air Algérie. The carrier is die to receive the last of its two remaining two ATR 72-600s in June 2016.

“Air Algerie’s fleet growth is consistent with the route expansion. It is part of the commitment to support the country’s rapidly growing air transport whilst keeping in mind the development strategy of the airline,”  says Mohamed Salah Boultif, chief executive officer of Air Algérie.

“The ATR 72-500 aircraft has proven to be extremely efficient in service with Air Algerie and is very much liked by our passengers,” adds Boultif. “We look forward to developing our operations across the region, with the new generation ATR 72-600s”.

Air Algérie first began operating ATR turboprops in 2003.

Algeria’s national airline, Air Algérie was founded in 1953 through the merger of 1946-founded Compagnie Générale de Transports Aériens and Compagnie Air Transport, a subsidiary of Air France and Compagnie Générale Transatlantique which was formed in the late 1940s.

The carrier now operates a fleet of 42 aircraft on routes linking Algeria with five continents, Air Algérie serving 32 domestic and more than 40 international destinations.