The flag carrier of Maldives, Maldivian, has announced the signing of a contract for the purchase of the airline’s first ever ATR aircrafts for domestic operations.
In a statement released earlier today, Island Aviation Services, the operator of Maldivian, stated that the company acquired two ATR 72-600 and one ATR 42-600, all of which will be delivered within 2022.
According to Island Aviation, the newly acquired aircrafts are equipped with the new PW127XT engines which offer improved fuel efficiency to help contribute to lower emissions and reduced maintenance costs in comparison to other ATR engines currently on market. In this regard, they detailed that PW127XT engines offer a 3 percent reduction in fuel consumption and 20 percent reduction in maintenance cost. The airline also noted that the engine allows the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
As an airline operating from a climate-vulnerable nation, Maldivian stated that sustainable development is major concern for them. They added that ART aircrafts already boast the lowest fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of all regional aircrafts, with ATR 72-600 consuming up to 40 percent less fuel than aircrafts in the category.
The purpose of joining forces with ATR is to contribute to the economic development of the Maldives. The initiative will complement the Maldivian government’s air connectivity policy and allow Maldivian to offer enhanced connectivity across Maldives.
Island Aviation’s Managing Director Mohamed Mihad said that the new generation of ATR aircrafts with PW127XT engines offer the airline what they have been looking for in modernization of their fleet and taking a step towards sustainability.
“We are pleased to take this next step in our expansion plans with ATR. We believe the new generation of ATF aircrafts with XT engines offer something we have been looking for in our fleet modernization, taking a step towards sustainability while keeping an eye on the operations costs as well as enhancing the cabin modernity and passenger comfort,” he said.
