New -500 Joins Recently Purchased Secondhand Plane

Swedish airline Golden Air took delivery last week of its first new ATR -- a 72-seat, PW-127M-powered ATR 72-500. The airline, which currently operates a fleet of five Saab 340B, five Saab 2000 and a second-hand ATR 72-500 recently acquired, becomes the first Swedish carrier to introduce the '-500 series' ATRs in its fleet.

"We are delighted of being the introducers of the ATR '-500 series' in Sweden, and to propose to our passengers the aircraft which features the lowest CO2 emissions and the highest standards of comfort of the regional aviation," said Anders Kallsson, Managing Director of Golden Air. "We are also very proud of introducing an aircraft well proved and reputed by its reliability and lowest operating costs."

"We are very confident with ATR and we will glad to link the expansion and the upgrading of our airline with these 'greenliner' aircraft," Kallsson added.

Golden Air is a regional company based at the Trollhättan - Vänersborg's Airport. The airline is part of the AB Thun, which is active in the field of shipping, real estate management and the aviation industry (where is active as lessor of both Saab and ATR). Golden Air offers low-price flights between Stockholm/Bromma and Visby, and focuses in the on-line bookings services.

Since the beginning of the program, ATR has sold 974 aircraft (419 ATR 42s and 555 ATR 72s) and has delivered 806 (401 ATR 42s and 405 ATR 72s), thus posting a current backlog of 168 aircraft.

FMI: www.atraircraft.com, www.goldenair.se/