GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric and European turboprop manufacturer ATR, announced orders for 15 ATR 72-600s, plus 15 options at the Paris Air Show. The deal is valued at approximately $680 million at list prices, including options. This is a first-time ATR order for GECAS. “The ATR 72s have a wide operating base and fills out our fleet offering at GECAS” Norman Liu, president and CEO of GECAS, says. There is good demand in the emerging markets and a strong replacement need as well.” Filippo Bagnato, CEO of ATR, says: “ATRs feature low operating cost profile and high level of reliability and value retention. In the last three years, the number of ATRs in operation that belongs to leasing companies has doubled.”