Toulouse, Malaysia Airlines' regional subsidiary MASwings today took delivery of its very first ATR 72-600 aircraft.

 
The aircraft was delivered at the ATR's facilities in Toulouse in the presence of Datuk Ik Pahon, permanent secretary, Ministry of Tourism Sarawak and chairman of BIMP EAGA - Sarawak Chapter.

Malaysia Airlines and ATR entered an agreement in late 2012 for the purchase of a total of 36 ATR 72-600s (20 firm orders plus 16 options) to be operated by the airline's regional subsidiaries, MASwings and Firefly.   

The agreement between ATR and Malaysia Airlines, MASwings –which currently operates a fleet of ten ATR 72-500s-, will introduce 9 ATR 72-600s until 2017, for further expanding its total fleet.

The arrival of the new ATR 72-600 aircraft, configured with 72 seats, is for MASwings to increase frequencies and open new routes in its network across East Malaysia, as well as to new exciting destinations across Brunei – Indonesia - Malaysia - The Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) region, including Puerto Princessa in Palawan Island, Philippine, which is scheduled to start operation before 2013 end.

This new route will complete MASwings' plan to link the other three countries in the BIMP-EAGA – Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines with Malaysia, making MASwings a truly community airline for the region.

MASwings carried 1.5 million passengers recorded last year with the new addition to its fleet, the airlines has targeted 2 million passengers this year.

The aircraft has glass cockpit in the regional aircraft market, developed by Thales, which includes navigation and communication aid tools. 

Captain Mohd Nawawi Awang, chief executive officer of MASwings highlighted “the great popularity of the ATR 72s in Borneo, thanks to their ability to link a huge coverage of communities and to contribute to the development of tourism and business, aiming for greater service rendered to our passengers would be made possible as some declared the aircraft as - the best way to travel short distance.”

"We are pleased to further expand MASwings with aircraft featuring outstanding operational capabilities, while burning up to 50% less fuel than regional jets.

"The development of the environment is a key point of our strategy of growth, and the ATRs have consolidated themselves as the greenest regional aircraft in the market."

Filippo Bagnato, chief executive officer of ATR added: “The arrival of the ATR '-600s' underlines a new step of a partnership which has proven fruitful since we signed our first agreement in late 2007.

"Since then, MASwings has strongly succeeded in expanding regional aviation across Borneo and strengthening both human and business links. We are pleased of being part of this story."

MASwings currently operates 140 flights daily connecting the community in Borneo and beyond, while ATR has some 250 aircraft operating in Asia-Pacific in the liveries of more than 50 airlines.

Since 2005, ATR has booked orders for over 330 firm aircraft in Asia-Pacific, representing two third parts of the total sales of up-to-90-seat regional aircraft in the region.