The airline division of businessman Vincent Tan’s Berjaya Group, Berjaya Air Bhd, has raised the bar for air travel. The business and aircraft manufacturer ATR inked a heads of agreement (HoA) for the purchase of two ATR 72-600 VIP aircraft.
One ATR 72-600 is said to cost around $26 million (RM121 million). It was launched in October 2007 and featured various improvements to increase efficiency, dispatch reliability, and lower fuel burn and operating costs.
While broadly similar to the earlier -500 model; differences include the adoption of improved PW127M engines, a new glass cockpit, and a variety of other minor improvements.
On 8 July 2015, an ATR 72-600 ‘green’ technology demonstrator performed its first flight; the demonstrator was used for testing new composite materials for insulation, air conditioning systems, electrical distribution systems, and energy dispersal modifications to evaluate their effect on the aircraft’s overall efficiency as a contribution to the Clean Sky initiative.
Berjaya Air stated that only the company’s discerning clientele will benefit from these new aircraft. The new agreement, according to the firm, is a component of a goal to add cutting-edge aircraft to its fleet.
A project to achieve sustainability and environmental preservation included the purchase of the new aircraft.
