Jet Airways to Include ATR 72-600s in its Fleet

Friday, 28th December 2012 at 01:54am

A new set of twin-engine turboprops will soon bear the Jet Airways livery as India's premier airline has announced recently their plans to induct five brand-new ATR 72-600 series into their fleet.

The twin-engine short-haul regional airliner is scheduled to take the skies between December 2012 and March 2013. The new generation turboprops are equipped with the state-of-the-art flight technology and will be deployed in Jet Airways' regional domestic network.

Each of the all-economy aircraft seats 68 passengers which is perfectly suited for regional short-haul operations. The country's tier II and III cities and towns are expected to be served by these regional aircraft.

Pratt & Whitney PW127M turboprops power the aircraft which are designed for short take-offs such as in short runways in regional airports. The twin-engine short-haul aircraft also features the widest cabin space in its class, providing maximum comfort for passengers and more leg room for baggage. Both the cabin side panels and ceiling are built and designed to give a bigger space in the interior of the aircraft creating a more comfortable travel experience.

According to its CEO, Sudheer Raghavan, the addition of the new generation turboprops to their fleet is a testament to Jet Airways' commitment to provide their guests the ultimate in air travel comfort with the aircraft's latest features in avionics technology. More importantly, the ATR 72-600 is said to be the most fuel-efficient in the turboprop class of aircraft.

The Franco-Italian ATR (Avions de Transport Régional) turboprops family of aircraft is known to be the world's most popular and modern twin-engine airliners which have been flying regional short-haul routes. These new generation aircraft are equipped with the advanced EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument System) technology as well as state-of-the-art FMS (Flight Management System). The FMS is the latest in avionics technology that has the capability, among others, to manage the aircraft's fuel consumption.

Unlike the hybrid ATR 72-500 series, the cockpit of the ATR 72-600 series utilizes full digital instruments which features innovative advanced functions enhancing the navigational safety of the aircraft. The cockpit's full digital instruments include twin Primary Flight Displays, a couple of multi-functional displays as well as an engine warning display, making the ATR 72-600 series the most advanced turboprops to date.

The aircraft now employs a paperless cockpit with the use of the innovative electronic check lists making it a clutter-free cockpit. The pilots can access interactive maps, terrain mapping as well as a variety of related information through LCD displays. In fact, the avionics display units inside the cockpit are similar found in A380, the world's largest airliner.

The ATR 72-600 had its maiden flight from Mumbai going to Bhuj in less than two hours. Other routes that the turboprops serve include Mumbai-Diu-Porbandar and Mumbai-Udaipur.

By: Pete Lee.