Aer Arann Regional Confirms Order for 8 ATR-72-600s

charliehotel

http://www.ch-aviation.ch/portal/news/16506-aer-arann-lao-and-transasia-confirm-atr-72-600-orders

Will these serve as direct replacements for aircraft or will they be for new routes?

BeardySi

Considering the amount of tech problems some of the older aircraft have been having, I'd imagine at least some are intended as replacements...

Tenger

charliehotel wrote: »

....Will these serve as direct replacements for aircraft or will they be for new routes?

As above the current fleet needs replacement.

RE have 4 ATR-42's in service as well as older 2 ATR-72's. They also have 2 ATR-72's leased from Air Contractors (I think?)
So this order could very well be direct replacement for existing aircraft. Overall it would grow capacity and streamline their operation. I'm not sure how the nearer versions differ so cannot say if it will help maintenance issues.

b757

8 on order, 4 options.

First ATR being delivered 15th May. One a month thereafter.

Eight Captains and eight FO's being trained up first i believe.

Sponge Bob

are all of these for Aer Lingus routes eg Shannon - Edinburgh and the like or will some be hubbed ex Southend??? ( I dunno where Aer Linus regional kit is serviced....just that it ain't Galway )

b757

Sponge Bob wrote: »

are all of these for Aer Lingus routes eg Shannon - Edinburgh and the like or will some be hubbed ex Southend??? ( I dunno where Aer Linus regional kit is serviced....just that it ain't Galway )

New routes to MAN, LPL, EMA and a few more airports in the UK are a strong possibility.

Probably all based in DUB bar one or two. DUB-MAN/BHX could be 3x daily, with either airport being a base.

Southend base could be closing, with the A/C being moved to DUB.

**
Shannon base being downgraded to a 42.

Sponge Bob

ain't there enough punters for a 72 any more ???

Tenger

Here's the official word on the 8 new ATR's:
http://www.aerlingus.com/travelinformation/weboffersfromireland/regionalfleetrenewal/

The new aircraft, ATR 72-600s, will replace the older existing fleet of ATR72-200s and ATR42s. The first new plane will commence service this May, with the remaining aircraft expected for delivery over the next 11 months. The new fleet will be fully operational in time for the Summer 2014 programme;

roundymac

Tenger wrote: »

As above the current fleet needs replacement.

RE have 4 ATR-42's in service as well as older 2 ATR-72's. They also have 2 ATR-72's leased from Air Contractors (I think?)
So this order could very well be direct replacement for existing aircraft. Overall it would grow capacity and streamline their operation. I'm not sure how the nearer versions differ so cannot say if it will help maintenance issues.

I thought they got a couple of 72/500s back in 2006, you know the one's with the Celtic Roundals on the livery.

L1011

They have 4 of those (left anyway - they might have taken more, they certainly ordered more and had to cancel deliveries). They will, I assume, be retained along with the 8 -600s.

Will finally make those claims about a new fleet they have on baggage gauges in outstations be correct :pac:

Sponge Bob wrote: »

ain't there enough punters for a 72 any more ???

Some routes have very high load factors as it stands.

flazio

Well I for one am delighted to see that RE continues to flourish under the EI umbrella thins certainly look very positive if that press release is to be believed.

Masala

How are they able to fund this expansion.... I thought that they were tight on funds and Stobart had to inject extra funding last year in return for extra equity??

Dacian

Masala wrote: »

How are they able to fund this expansion.... I thought that they were tight on funds and Stobart had to inject extra funding last year in return for extra equity??

It was included in the EI prelim 2012 results......they were injecting equity into a new company that is taking the ATR's which will be delivered to RE. No mention of who the other 2 partners are.


With the success of the EIR franchise it would actually be feasible for RE to get funding for the new aircraft......most airlines don't pay upfront for their aircraft. Similar to getting a mortgage, the airline gets a loan to buy the aircraft and they then repay that loan over a specified time period.
The airline has to prove to the lender that it has the future ability to meet the repayments,and currently RE are doing well under the EI branding.

Thus EI have over 1 Billion Euro in the bank but have previously indicated that about 60% of this is ringfenced for future assets repayments. So they are in a good place.

Masala

they were injecting equity into a new company that is taking the ATR's which will be delivered to RE

So.. are EI buy the aircraft and lending / renting / leasing them to RE????

....with the success of the EIR franchise ..

so... is this a success for RE??? Sure EI must be creaming off a considerable proprotion of the fare?

L1011

Masala wrote: »

So.. are EI buy the aircraft and lending / renting / leasing them to RE????

EI are one part of a new special purpose company, and it'll be leasing. Some of the craft they're replacing are leased to begin with and this way EI should be able to ensure the operations are more reliable and of a more consistant standard, which will benefit them hugely as they get significant trans-Atlantic feed off them. If done properly the actual leasing operation should be at worst revenue neutral.

Masala wrote: »

so... is this a success for RE??? Sure EI must be creaming off a considerable proprotion of the fare?

RE pay a franchise fee, they're not operating the routes under contract for EI but rather paying to be allowed sell them as EI branded.

It has lead to a massive increase in passengers carried by RE - although they are hugely down from their peak of selling indepedently but that was when they had PSO subsidised routes all over the country, large operations out of GWY, etc.

Irish Steve

MYOB wrote: »

although they are hugely down from their peak of selling indepedently but that was when they had PSO subsidised routes all over the country, large operations out of GWY, etc.

That thought raises an interesting question or 2. The PSO was needed to get anyone to operate to places like GWY at 2200 from DUB, and back again at 0 dark hundred, but at the peak of the tiger, GWY has a lot more flights to a lot more places.

I was involved with a failed attempt pre RE to get an operation going out of GWY, and it's more than clear that things have changed very dramatically for GWY.

Some of that was the motorway, communting to DUB is a lot easier than it used to be, but given the pain of going through DUB, was it the airport at GWY, the prices, or something else that resulted in the demise of GWY as a passenger operation. RE were based there, but eventually, just about everything has gone from GWY.

Did they just price themselves out of the equation, or was it that the runway just became too limiting, it always was a problem, so maybe it just got to the point where it limited the potential too much for comfort, or what?

Was the crazy price of accomodation a killer for the crews that were based there, so getting enough crews was an issue?

Whatever, it seems that GWY became very unattractive as a place to operate and we've seen the result.

Equally, despite the regular roaring that happens at SNN when anyone dares to suggest change, the number of flights to DUB are very limited, especially if the TA flights that originate in SNN are taken out of that loop.

How much of that is the limitation of baggage allowances, so anyone going on to other places is put in a catch 22 with the weight allowances on the internal flights, or is it again the motorway, getting to DUB is now a lot quicker than it used to be.

The good thing to come out of all of this is that RE have been able to adapt and change, and so survive, but I wouldn't mind taking a bet that at times, a lot of the people inside the company were becoming very concerned about their ability to make it all happen.

So, new aircraft, and I have to say the ATR in EI colours look a lot more attractive than they did in RE colours, and a plan that seems for now at least to be working.

Hopefully, that will continue, if for no other reason than using RE to feed the Trans Atlantic will help to keep EI out of Ryanair's clutches.

Neworder79

Irish Steve wrote: »

That thought raises an interesting question or 2. The PSO was needed to get anyone to operate to places like GWY at 2200 from DUB, and back again at 0 dark hundred, but at the peak of the tiger, GWY has a lot more flights to a lot more places.

I was involved with a failed attempt pre RE to get an operation going out of GWY, and it's more than clear that things have changed very dramatically for GWY.

Some of that was the motorway, communting to DUB is a lot easier than it used to be, but given the pain of going through DUB, was it the airport at GWY, the prices, or something else that resulted in the demise of GWY as a passenger operation. RE were based there, but eventually, just about everything has gone from GWY.

Did they just price themselves out of the equation, or was it that the runway just became too limiting, it always was a problem, so maybe it just got to the point where it limited the potential too much for comfort, or what?

Was the crazy price of accomodation a killer for the crews that were based there, so getting enough crews was an issue?

Whatever, it seems that GWY became very unattractive as a place to operate and we've seen the result.

All of the above and more:

motorway made DUB/ SNN accessible, lots of new capacity from NOC also, direct buses and more trains, GWY unhealthy dependance on subsidy and arrogant 'deserve' attitude alienate minister faced with huge austerity pressure, high operating/management costs, Flybe and Manx bases failed, economic collapse ends boom, then subsidy cut, PSO cut, numbers plummet, RE pull routes, RE examinership burns airport, RE move Luton to Southend, flights via WAT, lot of delays and cancellation on old aircraft with streatched crew, drives loyal passengers away, RE close base/move maintenance to DUB, no airline interest, management come up with strategy demanding more subsidy, no viable business plan, government refuse, management head to warmer climates, new management team now depending on government grant for park and ride income to keep it afloat.

DieselPowered

Looks like the new Aer Arann aircraft are in.

Aer Arann gets its first ATR 72-600 as of 3 May 2013 - Click here.

I've heard there are some reported engine problems with the new 600's?

islanderre

I read on here or on Airliners.net that their 1st one had to get an engine change prior to delivery hence they leased in a ATR 72 for a few days....