Japan Air Commuter Co. Ltd (JAC) took delivery of its first ATR 72-600 following the conversion in June of one of its orders of an ATR 42-600 to its larger 72 version. The aircraft will have a 70-seat configuration.

Hiroki Kato, President of Japan Air Commuter commented: “The performance of our existing ATR fleet has been highly satisfactory and this acquisition of an ATR 72-600 will allow us to be more flexible with our operations, matching capacity to demand more efficiently.

The aircraft’s blend of one of the most modern cabins in regional aviation with excellent economics allows us to deliver the high standards of comfort that our passengers expect.”

The first ATR 42-600 entered service with JAC in early 2017 and the up-gauging of this order reflects the -600’s ability to effectively open and grow routes with the lowest possible risks, thanks to its 40% fuel burn advantage over its turboprop rival.

The delivery of this larger aircraft allows JAC to fly more passengers to airports with shorter runways that are only accessible by turboprop.