ATR this week expects to announce another 46 orders for its family to twin turboprop regional airliners, plus options for another 35. Collectively, the announcements to be made here at the Paris Air Show will be valued at $1.98 billion.

On Monday morning, Japan Air Commuter signed an order for eight ATR 42-600s, plus options for 1 more and purchase rights for another 14, in a deal worth $496 million. This is the first business ATR has won in Japan, and the aircraft are due to enter service in 2017. It also means that ATR has passed the 1,500 mark for total orders.

“We are proud to be able to introduce the ATR aircraft to the skies of Japan,” Japan Air Commuter president Arata Yasujima told reporters. “The ATR 42-600 is a perfect match for the regional routes of the JAL Group [due to its] economical, environmental and operational specifications. Also we believe that the high level of ATR’s reliability and our quality of operation will satisfy our passengers’ needs. The brand-new aircraft will take our passengers to many beautiful destinations, especially the islands of Kagoshima, in the southern part of Japan.”

Also on Monday at the airshow, it was announced that Spain’s Binter Canarias had agreed to buy another six of the larger ATR 72-600 model. Deliveries of these aircraft will start later this year and be completed by 2017, joining the 16 ATRs already operated by the Canary Islands-based carrier.