The airline already has two earlier-generation ATR 72-500s on strength and has operated the type since 2004.
The new aircraft, in a 70-seat configuration, will operate both domestic services in the Vanuatu archipelago 1,750km/945nm east of Australia, as well as to other islands in the region including Fiji, New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands.
The carrier said the aircraft’s 120-minute ETOPS certification “substantially increased” its operational versatility among the region’s widely spaced territories.
