Amakusa To Take Japan’s First ATR 42

Japan’s Amakusa Airlines expects to become the country’s first ATR 42 operator under the terms of a lease deal it signed in late July with Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC). The letter of intent calls for the Kumamoto Prefecture-based regional airline to take the aircraft, a new ATR 42-600, in the fourth quarter of next year. The announcement followed NAC’s firm order at the Farnborough airshow for 25 ATR 42-600s. NAC also took options on 50 of the turboprops, raising the potential value of the deal to more than $1.55 billion.

Plans call for the airplane to replace the airline’s 39-seat de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100.

Established in 1998, Amakusa Airlines provides regular scheduled regional services connecting Amakusa City off the coast of mainland Kyushuu in southwestern Japan to large cities at such destinations as Kumamoto, Fukuoka and Osaka, offering up to 10 flights daily.