By Lloyd Burr
Seven brand new regional aircraft, worth a total of US$270 million (NZ$340 million), will start flying around the country as early as next year as part of Air New Zealand’s regional fleet expansion, it has been announced today.
The ATR 72-600 aircraft, which is an upgraded variant of the ATR 72-500 planes that Air New Zealand currently operate, will carry 68 passengers in an overhauled cabin with new seats and larger overhead storage bins.
The plane will also feature the latest technological enhancements, including new propellers, new engines, a glass-cockpit flight deck and new avionics like regional navigation performance (RNP) that will allow the plane to navigate through difficult terrain to an airport, like on approach to Queenstown.
Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe says the airline has ordered seven of the planes off the French manufacturer, with an option to purchase a further five, and says the aircraft will open up regional New Zealand to cheap flights.
“This order potentially doubles the size of Air New Zealand’s ATR fleet and will put a further two million seats into the New Zealand regional market annually.
“For our customers that will mean a big increase in the number of business timed seats and seriously cheap ‘grabaseat’ fares we have on regional routes every day,” he says.
Aviation analyst Peter Clarke says it is a good decision to add more aircraft to the regional fleet.
“I think it is very good for regional New Zealand. It has got great capabilities that enhance the safety of the existing aircraft and it gives the opportunity to fly into regional New Zealand with low visibility.
“They are a proven aircraft, they are a workhorse for Air New Zealand…and passengers will feel a lot safer being on this aircraft,” Mr Clarke says.
He says it is a “huge commitment to the regions” by Air New Zealand and it will add a “darn-sight more seats” than there currently are.
Mr Fyfe says the fleet addition allows other aircraft to be moved around and pick up demand in areas of new growth.
“The new ATR 72-600 aircraft will give us the means to up-gauge Q300 operated routes that will require more capacity in the coming years.
“In turn, this will release Q300 aircraft to up-gauge on some Beech 1900D operated routes, enabling us to look at start-up routes. So there is benefit in bringing in the larger turbo-props and cascading growth down throughout our regional operation,” he says.
ATR chief executive Filippo Bagnato says Air New Zealand is the biggest operator of the aircraft type in the Pacific.
“They are the ideal aircraft for Air New Zealand’s next phase of domestic growth, and have a great reputation as the greenest turboprop airliner of its size in the market today.”
The first two of Air New Zealand’s aircraft order are planned to arrive late next year.
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