Spanish Carrier Binter Takes Delivery of Its First ATR 72-600

Spanish carrier Binter, based in the Canary Islands, has taken delivery in Toulouse of the first of 12 ATR 72-600 turboprop regional airliners the airline ordered in two separate purchase contracts in 2014 and earlier this year.

Binter will use its ATR 72-600s to upgrade its current fleet, which consists of 16 ATR 72-500s. A long-standing ATR operator, Binter has developed its regional network throughout and beyond the Canary Islands with ATR aircraft since 1989.

On September 16, 2015, Canary Islands-based regional carrier Binter took delivery of the first of 12 ATR 72-600s it had ordered. This photo shows the aircraft on a pre-delivery test flight

Each of the airline’s new ATR 72-600s will be configured with 70 seats and equipped with the latest navigation systems.

Binter will use its ATR 72-600s to operate inter-island flights in the Canary Islands and on international routes  linking the Canaries with Madeira, Marrakech, Casablanaca, Agadir and El Aaioun.

“We have needed an important investing effort to achieve this operation,” says Pedro Agustin del Castillo, president of Binter. “Our aim is to keep and even further enhance the standards of quality in the inter-islands operations, thus responding to our commitment with the Canary Islands.”

According to del Castillo, Bintter also chose the new ATR 72 model for “the lower fuel burnt, the thinner, roomier and ergonomical seats, the larger overhead bins capacity, the larger flight autonomy and the state-of-the-art cockpit technology, close to the one of the Airbus A380”.

“The ATR aircraft feature outstanding operational results on short routes and on small and short runways, thus being the perfect tool to ensure air connectivity in archipelagos,” says Patrick de Castelbajac, chief executive officer of ATR. “For many years, ATR aircraft have built up a strong reputation for inter-island operations.”