Cebu Pacific, the Philippines’ largest airline , today took delivery of the very first ATR 72-600 High Capacity. Configured with 78 seats, this brand new option of the ATR 72 has ten additional seats compared to the standard configuration of the aircraft. It therefore combines reduced seat mile costs for airlines and world class comfort for passengers.

The ATR 72-600 series combines the highest level of comfort, unbeatable economics and unrivalled versatility in the turboprop market. With a dispatch reliability of 99.7%, it is perfectly adapted for regional operations in all types of environment. In addition, the ATR -600 series features a state-of-the-art glass cockpit incorporating the latest innovations in avionics technology. This new avionics brings improved communication, navigation and surveillance czapabilities allowing further flight path optimization and access to more challenging airports.

CEB will progressively replace its current fleet of eight ATR 72-500s – which are configured with 72 seats – with a fleet of 16 new ATR 72-600s, with 78 seats.

CEB signed for 16 ATR 72-600 plus options for 10 additional aircraft which will be operated by Cebgo, its wholly owned subsidiary. Deliveries of the ATR 72-600s will run until 2020.

Commenting on this major delivery, Lance Gokongwei, President and CEO of Cebu Pacific Air declared: “We are honored to be able to provide the most modern standards of comfort and even more competitive fares to our guests. Overall our new fleet will help us expand our inter-island network, strengthen links between local communities and encourage more business and tourism opportunities, thus support the growing Philippine economy.”

Patrick de Castelbajac, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, commented: “We are convinced that the new high capacity option of the ATR 72-600 will play a significant role in the expansion of regional air connectivity across South-East Asia.

This new maximum capacity configuration, using new optimized seats, is providing the best possible answer to the continuous increase of traffic on regional routes in Asia.”

ATR obtained certification for the 78-seat configuration of the ATR 72 from European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in December 2015. Based on the existing cabin platform, ATR added an additional row of four seats by optimizing the pitch and replacing the galley compartment with a new aft foldable galley. This enables airlines to choose between full cargo capacity or a combination of cargo capacity and galley space. The 78-seat option is also available as a retrofit.