French Polynesia-based Air Tahiti today took delivery of its 25th ATR aircraft, an ATR 72-500, in a ceremony held at the Final Assembly Line of the European turboprop manufacturer in Toulouse. With this delivery the airline, which operates ATR aircraft since 1986, counts today a fleet of 3 ATR 42-500s and 7 ATR 72-500s.

Air Tahiti is also one of the launch customers of the new ATR ‘-600 series’ aircraft, with an order for 3 ATR 42-600s and 2 ATR 72-600s which will start to be delivered in spring 2011. Air Tahiti will become at the same time the first operator of ATR ‘-600s’ in the South Pacific.

The ATR 72-500 delivered today, configured with 66 seats, is equipped with ETOPS (Extended Range Twin-engine Operations) 120 minutes and with the ‘Elegance’ cabin. The aircraft is powered by PW 127M engines and features state-of-the-art technological innovations in passenger comfort, communications and navigation aid tools.

Thanks to the ETOPS 120 capability of the ‘-500 series’, an exclusive feature in the regional aviation, Air Tahiti is able to operate its ATR fleet over a network of islands as vast as Europe. ATR aircraft are thus paramount to the development of Air Tahiti’s network, and offer essential air transport services across French Polynesia. The airline counts today one of the largest and youngest fleet of ATR aircraft in the Pacific zone.

Source: ATR