Second ATR Aircraft Introduced To Eastern Airways Fleet

A second ATR 72-600 aircraft is to be introduced to the Eastern Airways fleet following its delivery from the production line in Toulouse, France.

The regional airline commissioned two new aircraft last year, representing a considerable investment by Eastern Airways. The first, MSN 1448, arrived in September 2017.

The modern 72-seat aircraft will join the existing ATR 72-600 on the Aberdeen to Scatsta (Shetland Isles) oil contract charter services.

Tony Burgess, Chief Operating Officer at Eastern Airways, said: “We have invested in two new ATR 72-600 aircraft as they are ideally suited for the airports we fly to and the environments we operate in.

“Since we took delivery of the first aircraft in the autumn of last year, we have had positive feedback from our charter clients as they are extremely efficient, modern and comfortable aircraft which help us to fulfil a vital role between Shetland and the mainland. The second ATR 72-600 will be put to work on our oil contract charters which operate between Aberdeen and Shetland, underlining our long-term commitment to the oil and gas industry.”

ATR is part of the Airbus group and offers a comfortable cabin environment with a state-of-the-art glass cockpit incorporating the latest technologies. It has twin turbo props using two powerful Pratt and Whitney 172m engines, giving the aircraft a maximum cruise speed of 317mph.

The new aircraft serial number is MSN1482 and the two are being leased from Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC).

Eastern Airways also has two Embraer 170 and three Embraer 145 jets in its fleet, as well as nine Saab 2000s. It is also the largest operator in the world of Jetstream 41 aircraft, with 17.