Oriental Air Bridge (OC, Nagasaki) has taken delivery of its first ATR42-600 as it begins its fleet renewal programme.
JA10RC (msn 1612) was handed over to the Japanese regional carrier on December 16, 2022, although it is not scheduled to enter into service before July 2023. The aircraft is the first of three ordered by Oriental Air Bridge in July 2022. The airline will use the ATR - Avions de Transport Régional turboprops to replace its two remaining DHC-8-Q200s, which are currently 22.3 years old on average. The third aircraft of the type was already retired in August 2022, the ch-aviation fleets module highlights. The airline hopes to benefit from fleet commonality with regional partner carriers, Amakusa Airlines, HAC - Hokkaido Air System, and Japan Air Commuter, all of which already operate ATR42-600s.
"We are pleased to start operating our ATR42-600 aircraft soon. With the unrivalled versatility and sustainable performance of ATR aircraft, this delivery represents a step forward for us to better serve our higher purpose of providing air link to revitalise the remote islands around Nagasaki Prefecture in the most responsible way," Senior Managing Director Kazuhito Tanaka said.
The regional specialist currently serves seven destinations in southern Japan, including its main base at Fukuoka, Nagasaki and three smaller airports in the prefecture, Miyazaki, and its only destination on the island of Honshu, Komatsu, the ch-aviation schedules module shows.
