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Air Vanuatu takes delivery of new ATR 72-500

08^th October 2009	Print this article
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Air Vanuatu today accepted delivery of the new ATR 72-500, from the order announced last year at the Singapore Air Show and valued at US $ 20.5 million. The aircraft, configured with 68 seats and powered by PW 127M engines, will enable the airline to increase its domestic fleet passenger capacity and to respond to the traffic growth on regional routes.

Air Vanuatu ATR 72-500

Air Vanuatu ATR 72-500 takes off

Thanks to the unique ETOPS 120-minutes (Extended Range Twin-engine Operations) capability of the ATR -500 series aircraft, Air Vanuatu will be able to enhance its regional operations to the neighboring countries of New Caledonia and Fiji. The airline has operated an ATR 42-300 since 2004, mainly on domestic routes linking the capital Port Vila to the islands of Santo and Tanna, as well as on regular flights to Nouméa, New Caledonia.

Commenting on this first delivery, Joseph Laloyer, Air Vanuatu acting Chief Executive Officer, stated:

“With the introduction of our new ATR 72-500 we will be able to provide much-needed extra capacity on our trunk domestic routes and to enhance our network in the South West Pacific, while offering new levels of comfort to our passengers”. He added: “We are proud of adding the new generation ATR 72-500 into our fleet, because it features the most advantageous performance and operating costs, and because it will provide us a key support in our aim of reducing the environmental impact of our operations”.

He concluded:

“The unique 120-minutes ETOPS capability of the ATR -500s will enable us to reduce the length of our flights, thus saving time and money, while preserving our pristine environment”.

Stéphane Mayer, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, declared:

“We are delighted to deliver today this new ATR aircraft to Air Vanuatu, the national airline of the Republic of Vanuatu. This delivery symbolizes the success of our excellent relationship built on mutual trust and understanding. With the arrival of this new aircraft, Air Vanuatu is joining the club of the ATR ‘-500 series’ operators in the South Pacific, which are now operating a combined fleet of 7 ATR 42-500s and 21 ATR 72-500s. These 28 ATR ‘-500s’ flying in the South Pacific provide good opportunities for increasing the cooperation in aircraft operations and maintenance activities across the region”. He concluded: “Our aircraft, because of their ability to operate to small airfields and short runways, are optimally adapted to the interisland networks”.

The ATR –500 series:

With its ATR 42-500 and ATR 72-500, ATR supplies state-of-the-art aircraft with the highest standards of comfort. The advanced six-blade propeller provides remarkably low noise levels. All ATR models are compliant with noise regulations and have a large margin with regard to Chapter IV (ICAO) regulations. The ‘-500 series’ feature the lowest fuel consumption per passenger and CO2 emissions of the regional aviation, thus contributing to make ATR the “Green Player” of the regional aviation.

About Air Vanuatu:

Air Vanuatu was founded in December 1987 as national-flag carrier. The airline currently operates an ATR 42-300 for its domestic and short-haul regional routes, and a B737-800 for its flights from and to Australia and New Zealand.

About ATR:

Toulouse, Southern France-based regional aircraft manufacturer ATR is the world leader in the 50 to 74-seat turboprop market. ATR is an equal partnership between Alenia Aeronautica (a Finmeccanica company) and EADS. In 2008, ATR posted an annual turnover record, with US $ 1.3 billion. ATR is certified ISO 14001, the worldwide standard in the field of environmental respect.

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