Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has ordered 36 ATR 72-600s for a total purchase costing over US$840 million from Avions de Transport Regional G.I.E (ATR).

The orders involve 20 firm ATR 72-600 turbo-prop aircraft plus option for 16 additional aircraft.

The purchase agreement is a follow-up of the memorandum of understanding announced by the two signatories in December 2012, with deliveries commencing by mid-2013, the national carrier said in a statement today.

With today's signing, MAS brings to 42 the total of firm ATR 72s purchased since 2007, the airline said.

"MAS currently has 22 ATR 72-500s in its fleet, operated by its subsidiaries Firefly (12) and MASwings (10)," it said.

MAS said the introduction of this aircraft, the first ATR72-600s selected for the growing Malaysian and regional networks, would reinforce the position of these two subsidiaries in the community markets and key business routes while reaffirming the MAS Group as a major operator of ATRs in Asia.

The new ATR 72-600s will enable Firefly and MASwings to further expand their regional offering by adding new routes, frequencies and connectivity to MAS' global network.

MAS Group Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said: "We've partnered ATR for the last five years and we are satisfied with the outstanding performance and commercial results that our ATR 72s provide to our growing community networks.

"The new aircraft will further improve the guest experience on our community airlines as they connect more and more people across Malaysia and the surrounding regions," he added.

Filippo Bagnato, the chief executive officer of ATR, said: "MAS is a really prestigious partner for ATR in Asia.

"We're honoured with the renewal of their confidence and we're pleased to further develop our relationship with the introduction of the many advantages of the ATR 72-600, our newest product," he added.-- Bernama