Austria’s InterSky orders 2 ATR 72-600s
These will be the first ATRs under an Austrian carrier livery.
On the occasion of the ILA Airshow, the Austrian carrier InterSky, INTRO Group, -major shareholder of the airline (49%)-, and the European turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR are pleased to announce the signature of a contract for the purchase of 2 ATR 72-600s, valued at some US$ 47 million. The first of the 70-seat ATR 72-600s will be introduced in December this year, with the second one following in March 2013. These aircraft will become the first ATRs to be operated by an Austrian carrier.
With the introduction of these two new ATR 72-600s, InterSky will almost double the seat capacity of its fleet, which currently consists of three 50-seat turboprop aircraft. These new ATR 72-600s will provide passengers with the most modern standards of comfort and updated technologies. The ATR aircraft will be stationed at the company's base in Friedrichshafen, Germany and will enable InterSky to propose more frequencies on main routes, such as to Berlin and Dusseldorf.
Peter Oncken, Managing Director of InterSky, commented: “The new ATR 72-600 will bring us the opportunity of expanding our business with the most fuel-efficient and eco-friendly regional aircraft. This aircraft fits perfectly with our aim of combining very high-quality service for our passengers with low operating costs. We are pleased to set up this new partnership with ATR and also to benefit from their knowledge and experience in the day-to-day operations support”.
Hans Rudolf Wöhrl, Managing Director of INTRO Group, stated: “In the last years we have seen the outstanding success of the ATR aircraft all over the world and we are convinced that this is definitely the optimal solution for our 70-seat regional requirements. ATR aircraft have a proven efficiency and value and we are pleased to be associated with such a well-reputed brand”.
Filippo Bagnato, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, declared: “We are pleased to include InterSky in our portfolio of European operators and to expand our presence in the European market with the newest ATR -600s. This mature market will bring many replacement opportunities in the near future, both for previous generation turboprops and increasingly inefficient regional jets. We are glad that European carriers and passengers will have the opportunity to experience the many advantages of the ATR -600 series aircraft, and to count Austria as a new country of operation for ATRs.”
About the ATR 72-600:
- Passenger capacity: 68-74 seats
- Engines: Pratt & Whitney 127M
- Maximum power at take-off: 2,750 horse power per engine
- Maximum weight at take-off: 23,000 Kg
- Maximum load: 7,500 Kg
- Maximum range with full passenger load: 900 nautical miles (1,665 Km)
About InterSky:
InterSky is a regional airline founded in 2002 by Renate Moser, and has been successful for the last 11 years. In February 2012, INTRO Group became an additional shareholder of the company. For the time being, InterSky flies in the regional sector out of the Lake Constance area to the German cities Berlin, Dusseldorf and Hamburg, as well as Vienna and Graz. In the summertime the destinations Elba (out of Friedrichshafen, Munich, Zürich, Bergamo and Geneva), Olbia, Split, Zadar and Pula are also part of the schedule. With the purchase of two new ATR 72-600, the fleet will grow up to 5 aircraft, additionally to the current 3 Dash 8-300s. New routes are especially focused on German and Austrian business travel needs. As InterSky has its own technical facilities, the reliability of the airline is enormous, reaching 99.8%. As a consequence of the two new aircraft the number of employees will significantly grow from the current 100.
About INTRO Group:
Founded in 1973 by Hans Rudolf Wöhrl, the INTRO Group of companies combines its activities in property, aviation and other sectors. Based in Reichenschwand (nearby Nuernberg) INTRO Group invests in multitude industries and currently has more than 50 investments (www.introgroup.de). Mr. Wöhrl is one of the pioneers in European regional aviation. He founded NFD (Nürnberger Flugdienst, today Eurowings and the second German scheduled airline) in 1975 and was one of the first ATR 42 and 72 customers. Hans Rudolf Wöhrl acted even as a PIC from 1987 till 2003 on ATRs. NFD was also founding member of the ERAA (European Regional Airlines Association). As a strong fighter for the liberalization of the European air transport Hans Rudolf Wöhrl has written history. After the fusion between NFD and RFG to Eurowings, INTRO became a successful specialist in founding and restructuring Airlines as a consultant or as an owner, like Deutsche BA (dba), gexx and LTU, InterSky and Flynext.
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About ATR
ATR is the world number one regional aircraft manufacturer with its ATR 42 and 72, the best-selling aircraft in the below 90-seat market segment. The unifying vision of the company is to accelerate sustainable connections for people, communities and businesses, no matter how remote. Flown by some 200 airlines in over 100 countries, ATR aircraft opened 160 new routes in 2023, facilitating the development of territories and enabling access to crucial services like healthcare and education. Thanks to ATR’s focus on continuous innovation and the intrinsic efficiency of the turboprop technology, ATR aircraft are the most advanced, versatile, cost-effective and lowest-emission regional aircraft on the market, emitting 45% less CO2 than similar-size regional jets. In January 2022, we flew the first ever commercial aircraft using 100% SAF in both engines. ATR is a joint-venture between Airbus and Leonardo.