05/11/2015 14:15 |
GENERAL |
PRICE SENSITIVE |
REL: 1415 HRS Air New Zealand Limited (NS) |
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GENERAL: AIR: Air NZ further invests in regional growth with ATR purchase |
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Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon, joined by Prime |
Minister John Key, has today announced the airline will purchase 15 new |
ATR72-600 aircraft to operate its regional services. |
Four of the new aircraft will allow for further growth on regional Air New |
Zealand routes while 11 will replace the airline's ATR72-500 fleet. |
At list prices the 15 new aircraft are collectively valued at $US375 million. |
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In 2012 the airline announced it would add to its ATR fleet with an |
investment in 14 ATR72-600 aircraft - seven of these aircraft have since been |
delivered with the remaining seven due to join the fleet by mid-2016. |
The additional 15 new aircraft will begin arriving from late 2016. |
Christopher Luxon says the airline is proud of its commitment to operating |
both a world-leading turboprop fleet and a comprehensive regional network. |
"The extra four 68 seat ATR72-600 that we are adding to our fleet will enable |
us to operate up to an additional 600,000 seats into the New Zealand regional |
market annually. This latest investment will further allow us to maintain |
our low fare price and high frequency leadership," says Mr Luxon. |
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"Once these new aircraft arrive we will operate a fleet of 29 ATR aircraft, |
the third largest ATR fleet in the world which is testament to the breadth |
and depth of our regional network." |
In addition to ATR aircraft Air New Zealand also currently operates ten |
19-seat Beech 1900D and 23 50-seat Bombardier Q300 aircraft types. |