Berjaya buys two ATR aircraft for KL-Redang route

SINGAPORE: Berjaya Hotels and Resorts (Berjaya) will acquire two pre-owned ATR 42-500 aircraft, according to Franco-Italian aircraft manufacturer, Avions de Transport Regional (ATR).

In a statement, ATR said, the aircraft would be used by Berjaya’s unit, Berjaya Air, for flights from the Subang International Airport to Redang, Terengganu, which would be launched in June.

“We can see that countries in the AsiaPacific want to develop their tourism industries and the broader economies, but one of the impediments is the lack of air connectivity, and ATR is the solution to regional air connectivity,” said ATR chief executive officer Christian Scherer.

ATR said the two ATR 42-500 aircraft would be refurbished and would have a 36-passenger capacity. Berjaya chief executive officer Hanley Chew said the company picked the ATR 42 because the size suited its needs and was capable of taking off from and landing on short runways.

“The runway on Redang Island is only 1.1km, so the ATR 42's capabilities on short runways are very important.

“The ATR 42 was also selected because this aircraft is well-supported in Malaysia and the wider Asia-Pacific region in terms of spare parts, maintenance support and training programmes,” said Chew.

Berjaya owned two resorts on the Redang Taaras Beach and Spa Resort and the Redang Island Resort.

It is a member of the Berjaya Corp Group of Companies, while ATR is a global market leader for below-90-seat regional aircraft. — Bernama