Berjaya Hotels acquiring two ATR-42 aircraft

PETALING JAYA: Berjaya Hotels & Resorts (BHR) will be acquiring two pre-owned ATR 42-500 aircraft to launch air services from Subang Airport to Redang Island.

ATR said in a statement yesterday that Berjaya Hotels & Resorts’ decision to buy ATR 42-500s is testimony to the versatility of the ATR 42.

ATR is the only aircraft maker in the world that makes 50-seat commercial aircraft.

“In the Malaysia market, and elsewhere in Asia Pacific, we can see that governments want to develop their tourism industries and the broader economy, but one of the impediments they face is lack of air connectivity. ATR is the solution to regional air connectivity in the region,” said ATR CEO Christian Scherer.

Meanwhile, Berjaya Hotels & Resorts CEO Hanley Chew said: “We chose the ATR 42 because it is the right size aircraft for our needs and it can take off and land on short runways. The airport runway on Redang Island is only 1,100 metres long, so the ATR 42’s capabilities in short runways are very important. The ATR 42 was also selected because this aircraft type is very well supported in Malaysia and the wider Asia Pacific region in terms of spare parts, maintenance support and training programmes”.

Going forward, Berjaya Air is also looking to launch services linking Redang Island to Singapore.