Tag Archives: ATR 72-212A

Fiji Link is launched with the delivery of its first ATR 72-600

Fiji Link (subsidiary of Fiji Airways, formerly Pacific Sun) (Suva, Fiji) was officially launched with the delivery of the pictured 68-seat ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-600) DQ-FJZ (msn 1146) on May 31. The new type was due to arrive in Fiji today. This delivery also starts the rebranding of Pacific Sun as Fiji Link.

ATR issued this statement:

Fiji Link took delivery of its first brand new ATR 72-600 on operating lease from Singapore-based aircraft leasing company Avation PLC. The acquisition of the new ATR is as part of airline’s dynamic expansion plan to support network growth on its domestic and regional routes in the Pacific Islands, which it today operates on behalf of Fiji Airways.

The larger capacity, 68-seat ATR 72-600 of the new generation will allow the Fiji Airways Group to enhance connectivity over Fiji’s larger domestic ports Nadi, Suva and Labasa, while boosting frequency of flights to other Pacific island destinations.

The new aircraft will be based at Suva Airport where Fiji Link is about to start its first full program of flying to Fiji’ existing domestic and regional destinations while commencing flights on a new route Suva-Apia.

The ATR-600 series aircraft will provide Fiji Link with the vital reduced operating and maintenance costs optimizing and reinforcing to maximum its airline’s economics.

A second ATR 72-600 is due in November and December 2014 which will allow the airline to retire its two ATR 42-500s.

Copyright Photo: Ariel Shocron/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-600) F-WWEK became DQ-FJZ on delivery.

Mann Yadanarpon Airlines wants to expand to Thailand

Mann Yadanarpon Airlines (Yangon) took delivery of its first ATR 72-600 (ATR 72-212A) (XY-AJO, msn 1127) on January 28, 2014. The first aircraft was welcomed to the Yangon base three days later. The new airline started operating on March 5, 2014 from Yangon to Nyaung-U, Mandalay, Heho and Tachileik with two ATR 72-600s (XY-AJO and XY-AJP) on daily service. Service to Kyaing Tong is operated four days a week.

Flying currently domestic routes in Myanmar (formerly Burma), the regional carrier wants to expand internationally to Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand.

All photos and images by Mann Yadanarpon Airlines.

Etihad Regional-Darwin Airline leases four ATR 72-500 aircraft to expand its fleet

Etihad Regional (operated by Darwin Airline) (Lugano and Geneva) has announced an agreement to lease four ATR 72-500 aircraft, which will see the carrier boost its regional fleet to 12 aircraft and support its rapidly expanding network.

All four aircraft will be delivered from March through June 2014. The airline currently operates a fleet of eight 50-seat SAAB 2000 turboprop aircraft.

Etihad Regional will configure each aircraft with 68 seats.

The lease of the aircraft was arranged by Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), the world’s largest turboprop leasing company headquartered in Billund, Denmark.

Etihad Regional’s Maiden Flight Takes To The Skies – 23 Jan 2014 En

Darwin Airline adopted the new name and brand after Etihad Airways invested in the regional carrier with a one third share.

Etihad Regional’s first commercial flight, flight F7 154, took to the skies on January 23, 2014, with a newly branded 50-seat SAAB 2000 (HB-IZP) aircraft. The flight departed from the airline’s hub in Geneva, Switzerland and landed on schedule at Rome Fiumicino Airport in Italy.

The first Etihad Regional branded aircraft was unveiled at a launch event in Zurich on January 16, 2014, showcasing the airline’s new livery and brand new logo. All 10 aircraft in the Etihad Regional fleet will feature the new livery by the end of June 2014.

Copyright Photo: Rolf Wallner/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-500) HB-ACB (msn 662) was leased and delivered on March 13 and visited Zurich today in the new look.

Routes from Geneva (red lines are regular routes, blue are seasonal):

Binter Canarias orders six ATR 72-600s

Binter Canarias (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain) and ATR have announced a contract for the sale of six firm ATR 72-600 aircraft. With the acquisition of these new ATR 72-600s the airline will enter into the renewal process of their current fleet of 18 ATR 72s which have been operating successfully in the inter-islands network for years. Binter Canarias is a long-standing ATR operator in Europe, introducing their first ATR aircraft in the late 1980s.

Copyright Photo: Gerry McCready/AirlinersGallery.com. Binter Canarias’ ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-500) EC-LGF (msn 907) taxies past the camera at Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.

Binter Canarias:

Bangkok Air orders six ATR 72-600 turboprops

Bangkok Airways (Bangkok Air) (Bangkok) and ATR today announced a contract for the sale of six firm ATR 72-600 aircraft and two options. Bangkok Airways has been operating ATR aircraft for two decades and currently operates a fleet of eight ATR 72-500s. The first new ATR 72-600s will be delivered later this year, allowing Bangkok Airways to start renewing its fleet.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-500) HS-PGF (msn 700) named “Hua Hin” arrives back at the Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) base.

Bangkok Air:

Air Algerie firms up an order for three new ATR 72-600s

Air Algerie (Algiers) has signed a purchase agreement for 3 new ATR 72-600s. The contract value is $74.1 million at current list price. The entry into service is expected from end of 2014 through 2015. When delivered, the 68 seat new-comers will join an existing ATR fleet at the airline that currently includes 12 ATR 72-500s flying primarily on domestic and short regional routes. The new order will take Air Algerie’s ATR fleet to 15 ATR 72s consolidating its position of the largest ATR operator on the African continent.

Copyright Photo: Michael Stappen/AirlinersGallery.com. ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-500) 7T-VUO (msn 901) prepares to land at Palma de Mallorca.

Air Algerie:

CityJet will be merged with InterSky

CityJet (Dublin and London-City) is currently owned by the Air France-KLM Group and is for sale. As previously reported, last month the group announced Intro Aviation GmbH, of which Hans Rudolf Woehrl is a co-founder, made an offer pending finalization to acquire CityJet as well as its subsidiary VLM Airlines. The deal is expected to close in this quarter.

Now German aviation investor Hans Rudolf Woehrl says he wants to merge CityJet with InterSky Lufthfahrt (Bregenz, Austria and Friedrichshafen, Germany) according to this report by Reuters. Intro Aviation controls 74.9 percent of the InterSky stock.

Woehrl wants the merged new carrier to serve regional routes that will not upset the major carriers.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Pepscl/AirlinersGallery.com. CityJet operates most of its flights for Air France. It is unclear if the Air France relationship will survive the sale and merger. BAe RJ85 EI-RJH (msn E2344) taxies at Charles de Gaulle (CDG) hub near Paris.

CityJet:

Air France by CityJet:

InterSky:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl/AirlinersGallery.com. InterSky operates three Bombardier DHC-8-300s(Q300) and two ATR 72-600s. InterSky’s ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-600) OE-LIB (msn 1038) lands at Zurich.

InterSky’s seasonal and regular routes from Friedrichshafen:

Jettime takes delivery of the first ATR 72-600 for SAS

Jettime (Copenhagen) on October 18 took delivery of the first of six new ATR 72-600 turboprops. ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-600) OY-JZA (msn 1110) was acquired on lease from the Danish leasing company Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC). All the ATR 72-600 aircraft will be assigned to feed the Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) route network as part of a commercial arrangement between SAS and Jettime. All of the aircraft will be painted in SAS livery. The delivery ceremony for this very first ATR 72-600 series aircraft to be operated in Europe’s Nordic countries took place in Toulouse, France, in the presence of the management teams of Jettime, NAC, SAS and ATR. Deliveries of the next five ATR 72-600s will be completed by early 2014.

Jettime:

Avianca Colombia cancels 160 domestic flights due to a pilot pay dispute

Avianca Colombia (Bogota) has cancelled 160 domestic flight through next Wednesday because its pilots are refusing to work overtime due to a pay dispute according to Reuters.

Avianca’s 1,000 pilots are demanding a 15 percent pay increase from the company. Avianca Colombia is a part of Avianca Holdings. TACA’s pilots and other pilots under the Avianca brand are not involved in the dispute.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Aldo Ciarini. Avianca added its first ATR 72 on July 3, 2013 when the pictured ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-600) F-WWEE was handed over as HK-4954 (msn 1092). The new type is pictured landing at Toulouse before the delivery.

Avianca (Colombia):

Avianca takes delivery of its first ATR 72-600

Avianca (Bogota) took delivery yesterday (June 18) of the first of 15 ATR 72-600s that it commissioned in late 2012, with the signing of a contract which also included options for 15 more aircraft and which was valued at over $700 million.

The aircraft was delivered at the Paris Air Show is configured with 68 seats and is equipped with the new ‘Armonia’ cabin, a major development of the ATR ‘-600’ series, ensuring optimal passenger comfort. With the delivery of this aircraft, Avianca begins an ambitious process of developing and modernizing its regional network in Colombia and Central America.

Avianca will gradually replace the Fokker 50s and ATR 42s currently in service. The first ATR 72-600 will serve destinations including Barrancabermeja, Florencia, Manizales, Neiva, Pasto, Popayán, Tumaco and Yopal in Colombia. Later, other ATR 72-600s will be used to connect Guatemala City and Flores (Guatemala), Tegucigalpa, Roatán and San Pedro Sula (Honduras), San Salvador (El Salvador), Managua (Nicaragua) as well as San José and Liberia (Costa Rica).

Alongside with the introduction of the ATR 72-600s, ATR and Avianca are preparing to jointly set up the first ATR-approved pilot training center in South America, which will open in the coming months at Avianca facilities in Bogota, Colombia.

The first ATR 72-600 is really officially an ATR 72-212A still with the test registration of F-WWEE (msn 1092). The props are multi-colored.

Avianca: