Skywest Airlines to introduce 5 additional ATR 72-600s into Australia

Australia’s Skywest Airlines will introduce five more ATR 72-600 aircraft into its fleet, to be operated on a range of routes on behalf of major carrier Virgin Australia. These five aircraft take to 13 the number of firm orders of ATR 72 aircraft placed by the Singapore-based leasing company Avation PLC in 2011 for Skywest Airlines: four ATR 72-500s, which are already operating on Virgin Australia’s regional network, and nine new generation ATR 72-600s, the first of which Skywest will receive next year. This new contract for five ATR 72-600s also includes options for eight additional aircraft. The list price of the agreement, including options, is over $ 295m. Like the ATR 72-500s now operated for Virgin Australia by Skywest Airlines, all of the ATR 72-600 aircraft will fly in Virgin’s new white and red colour scheme. The latest five aircraft are scheduled to be delivered from early 2013 through early 2014.