News
8 February 2010
MASWINGS RECEIVES 8TH ATR 72-500
Kuching: MASwings received its 8th ATR aircraft, which arrived Kuching from Subang on Saturday, 6 February 2010. This additional aircraft adding up to its current fleet will reinforce MASwings obligation in enhancing its connectivity and comfort to the travelling public in Sabah and Sarawak.
MASwings Managing Director, Dato’ Mohd Salleh Ahmad Tabrani said, “The delivery of the 8h ATR will enable MASwings to fulfil it’s obligation to offer daily frequencies which are required to provide air connectivity to the people of Sabah and Sarawak”.
The 8th ATR is used to replace the Fokker 50 routing from Kuching to Sibu, Sibu to Bintulu, Kota Kinabalu to Bintulu, Sibu to Kuching, Miri to Bintulu and Kuching to Bintulu sectors effective 8 February 2010. The introduction of the ATR will increase additional overall seat capacity by 1,386 passengers per week or 36% injection on the above routes without changes in the flight frequencies. The overall combined seat capacity for these six routes are 3,850 per week before the introduction of the ATR and will increase to 5,236 per week after 8 February 2010. MASwings will be able to cater higher seats capacity as compared to the previous operational model using the Fokker 50.
“I am glad that we are able to meet our target on the delivery of our ATR. I am confident that the ATR will enable us to expand our capacity, meeting the future demand in air travel within Sabah and Sarawak, and connect more customers worldwide to the two states which are ideal destinations for business and tourism” Dato’ Salleh added.
The 8th ATR which took the sky from Toulouse, France on 29 January 2010 arrived Subang on 2 February 2010 has undergone maintenance checks and was then certified airworthy by the Department of Civil Aviation in Subang with the registration number 9M-MWH.
MASwings is on track with its fleet replacement initiative. The Fokker 50 aircraft will be replaced with ATR72-500 in stages and this entire aging fleet will be phased out by April 2010.
MASwings ATR cabin is configured to 68 seats with 31”inches pitch seats which offers wider and spacious cabin, thus providing comfort for travellers. Amongst the additional facility made available in the ATR is the in-flight entertainment screen, which showcases the destinations in Sabah and Sarawak, which ultimately provides information for the travelling public especially foreign travellers.
Meanwhile, MASwings 9th ATR is expected to be delivered by March 2010 and the 10th ATR by early April 2010.
Issued By: Corporate Communications Department MASwings