Regional airline LIAT has sign a deal with Air Lease Corporation (ALC) for the long term lease of two new ATR 72-600 aircraft to be delivered in June and August 2013.
The announcement was made on Monday just days after LIAT announced that it will be purchasing three new 48-seat ATR-42-600s from France-based ATR Corporation.
“We are very pleased to add LIAT to our growing list of airline customers, and solidify ALC’s market position,” Kishore Korde, Senior Vice President of Air Lease Corporation, said in a statement.
LIAT has been talking of modernizing its aging fleet and the airlines CEO, Ian Brunton, said the lease of the aircraft is an important aspect of the process. “The new generation ATR-72-600 is an essential component of our progressive fleet modernization, as we upgrade to these economical and efficient new aircraft in 2013. We value our association with ALC and the support we have received from them on this important project,” he said.
ALC is an aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California which boasts of having airline customers throughout the world. The company is principally engaged in purchasing commercial aircraft and leasing them to its customers.
The ATR 72-600 can carry up to 72 passengers and can fly non-stop for up to 891 nautical miles at a speed of 275 knots.
I wonder why no one has thought about starting a helicopter shuttle service from Melville Hall to Roseau? It is not that hard to get to Dominica but the 1& 1/2 hour trip through the mountain to Roseau is what is tiresome especially after travelling on a plane all day. Two small helicopters would work one one big 48 passenger helicopter similar to the US army C-H 47 Chinook.
please change all the air planes currently in use
those aircraft are to slow 275 knots in those days and time. plane fly at all 500 knots
For liats routes jets are not the best options. if you do some research you will see that the time gained using small jets are not worth the cost if fuel and maintenance. Currently alot of regional carriers worldwide are switching back from jets to turbo props since they make much more economic sense. Their break even point is lower than jets since the passenger cost per mile is lower. Font let the propellers fool you into belieVing that these are outdated aircraft. like i stated earlier these engines are pretty similar to jet engines. The major difference is the fan. Jets use an enclosed fan and turboprops have propellers but they are both turbine engines. For flights up to about 500 nautical miles turbo props are way more cost effective. If you are willing to double the cost of Liat tickets then jets are viable.. On such short routes the time difference between jets and turbo props is negiligible. So list may have made the right choice.
Quite adequate for the typically short sectors that LIAT fly. Remember the distance from Melville Hall to Antigua is only some 100 miles. Also, American Eagle is using the same type of aircraft on its island-serving Caribbean routes out of San Juan, including its non-stop service to Dominica. Believe me, the airlines know their onions and this is an excellent aircraft for its intended purposes. If we need to complain about the relatively slow speed compared with jets we would do better addressing the fact that it takes 1 1/2 hour from Roseau to Melville Hall, along a tortuous road at a cost of $100 per passenger, one way. That, to me has far greater priority
Malate, you’re quite right. An airline ticket to DA costs an arm and a leg.
what are the new destinations?
You will probably find that these two larger-capacity aircraft will be used on hig-capacity routes like the Dominican Republic, Haiti and perhaps Puerto Rico. We will have to wait and see.
liat shareholders the caribbean leaders are a bunch of waste.give me some better news.get jets.
for what airport? viellecase?
When you are talking about jets, even smaller ones you are talking about 100/150 pax. Certainly in Dominica we can not offer such payloads at present, I suspect even the new ATR 72 will be used on denser, highfrequency routes where passenger loads warrant this larger brother of the ATR42.
Sick of liat
Where is the “Beef” in this statement?recycle statements ain’t gonna cut it,that is all we’ve been fed,meanwhile we still suffering to get Home;cut the FAT and start to Act.
Liat can buy all types of aircraft but that won’t make a difference. It is like putting money in a bottomless pit, unless the top management is changed it is the same old story. Soon they will be back at the doors of regional governments begging for financing.
good initiative.. but i’m wondering, when will we be done with those propeller planes?
I guess you would be willing to pay for the increased fuel cost out using jets. Turboprops are more cost effective for the service Liat offers. In the US alot of regional carriers use these sort of aircraft to service similar routes as Liat does. Also turboprops and turbofans are basically the same type of engines. They are both turbine engines one just has a bigger slower spinning fan.the propeller.
You are right. BA started an offshoot in barbados about 18 years ago using jets. This company did not survive as these planes were totally unsuited to short island hops. Most of the fuel is burnt during take off and landing which makes jet use for island hopping very uneconomical. For these short hauls, the props are best suited
ATR???? Why not the Dash8 Q400? Liat I am truly disappointed. Yes these are new Generation ATR’s but so is Q400. As the matter of fact, in this day and age why are you purchasing Turboprop aircrafts? There are so many options out there for small jetliners ERJ 145, EMB 190, or even smaller members of the airbus or boeing family such as the 318 or 737. Why liat why???
We need to move forward and HIGHER not a shift futher on the same grid.
NEXT IS TO SHAKE UP THE STAFF!!! THESE RUDE AND ARROGATN LITTLE BASTARDS YOU ALL HAVE AS THE COMPANY FRONTLINE
Chupes.
who r u to tell LIAT what plane to purchase ATR planes r much faster than the dash8
First of all I am very important to Liat, because I am one of the many VERY frequent flyers who pay a whole lot of money for service. so WHO ARE YOU to ask me who am I ?? Outta place!!
And yes I do have options, I just choose liat because its caribbean “”support you own””
And you need to get your facts straight before you comment, the ATR CANNOT be compared to the new Dash Q400? Are you mad or what? Faster, where when and how??
Heres a link below, do some reading and get up to date:
http://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/dash8/
the q400 is much faster than the atr. It climes faster the engine are mush more powerful
on which Runway you think FAA will give clearance to land a 737 with passengers or likewise sized craft in dominica? viellcase Int Airport?
I know i never mentioned that they should operate jet service into Dominica, thats a whole other story right there.
Take it up to your gorvenment…meen able for this kinda talk.
ask any pilots flying the emb 190 and ask them the nickname…why would you want liat to invest in an aircraft that will bankrupt it with maintainance issues.
i am with u 100%% y not the q400
Why not the Q95? hehehe.