Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Avions de Transport Regional landed firm orders for 20 new airplanes from four customers at last month’s Paris Air Show. Finnish regional airline Finncomm signed for eight 48-seat ATR 42-500s, Corsica’s CCM for six ATR 72-500s, New Caledonia’s Air Caledonie for a still undefined mix of three ATR 42-500s and ATR 72-500s, and Air Madagascar for two ATR 72-500s and a single ATR 42-500. 

Over the next two years Finncomm plans to replace a fleet of Saab 340s and 2000s it now flies under the certificate of Sweden’s Golden Air with the eight new ATRs, the first of which it expects to arrive late this year. CCM’s schedule also calls for first delivery late this year, followed by the last five through mid-2007. Air Caledonie plans to replace its three ATR-300s with the new -500s, which will include at least one 68-seat ATR 72, starting next year. Air Madagascar too will replace a trio of older ATR 42s with -500s from late this year through the middle of next year. 

Valued at close to $300 million, the contracts raise this year’s order count for ATR to 50 airplanes and increase the company’s backlog to more than 70. In February ATR sold 30 ATR 72s to India’s Air Deccan, one of which sat on static display in Paris.

Banner Year Continues for ATR

Avions de Transport Regional landed firm orders for 20 new airplanes from four customers at last month’s Paris Air Show.

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