Nuno Pereira, CEO and Founder of Bestfly, the Angola-based aviation services company, signed for the company’s first two ATR 72-600 regional aircraft.
The deal was signed at a ceremony held at Toulouse Francazal Airport, France, at ATR headquarters. The twin-engine, turbo-prop regional airliners, which have been leased from ACIA Aero Capital group, represent a first of this type for Bestfly, as well as being the first ATR-600 series to operate in Angola. Aircraft number one was ferried to Luanda over the weekend, with the second due to arrive by the 10th August.
Complementing the existing Bestfly fleet of fifteen aircraft and two helicopters, the addition of the ATR 72-600s marks an important evolution for the business as it adds corporate shuttle service operations to its existing jet, turbo-prop and rotary charter services.
Pereira anticipates the new aircraft will be kept busy supporting corporate charters for the energy sector, private charters for the expanding national business fraternity and will interline with international commercial business class passengers requiring further transport across the vast nation of Angola.
Following completion of the final parts of certification by the Angolan CAA (INAVIC), the first charter is slated for the beginning of September for a flight from Luanda to Cabinda.
Configured with 72 seats, passengers will benefit from the comfort of travelling in the widest cabin in the regional turbo-prop sector, increased overhead baggage space and newly designed seats offering 30-inch pitch.
The increased comfort, as well as fuel efficiency, and dispatch reliability were all key factors in the selection of this model. It is also well suited to the terrain of Angola and West Africa, with the ability to operate on unpaved and short runways. The combined attributes and versatility of the aircraft meet Bestfly’s needs for flexibility in an underserved market.
“We are a customer-centric organization, and we responded to the growing demand for this type of aircraft from our clients. As ATR is one of the world’s leading regional aircraft manufacturers we’re also proud to be doing our part to expand regional connectivity in Angola by basing these aircraft here. This is another first for us, but it certainly won’t be our last. As a leading aviation company in Angola, we serve customers with our offshore helicopters, small to large business jets, and now the ATRs. We are working hard to provide an extremely well-rounded offering to the growing business market here in Angola and further afield,” said Pereira, CEO of Bestfly.
Based at Aeroporto Internacional Quatro de Fevereiro the ATR 72–600s join a fleet containing one Gulfstream G550, a Gulfstream G450, a Bombardier Global Express, Challenger 605, and two Learjet 45s, as well as a Dassault Falcon 900, four King Airs and two Leonardo AW139 helicopters. Bestfly has invested in crew and technical training and is working closely with ATR to support aircraft operations.
The Philippine Navy (PN) is in the process of reviving the country’s naval shipbuilding industry, said the service’s spokesperson WPS…
AirAsia marks the beginning of the airline's first flight from Ahmedabad, India, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, enhancing air links between…
BlueHalo and Kraken Technology Group are partnering to integrate BlueHalo’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)-backed autonomous mission systems into…
8tree’s dentCHECK inspection tool, developed for and used within the MRO sector for dent-mapping, is now being utilized at Boeing’s…
Hensoldt UK has been chosen by Navantia UK to provide key systems for the UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s (RFA) three…
Embraer delivered its 1800th E-Jet aircraft with the handover of third E190-E2 to Royal Jordanian Airlines at Embraer’s facility in…
Havelsan, a Turkiye software and systems company, has attained the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Level D certification for…
ST Engineering Marine Ltd, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, has secured a contract with the Singapore Ministry of Defence for…
Airbus Helicopters has secured a contract with Brunei's Ministry of Defence for the procurement of six H145M helicopters. “We are…
Following the official launch last March, AirAsia Cambodia flew its inaugural domestic flight today, marking a major step in the…
Global passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), was up 13.8% in March this year compared to the same…
Exel Composites, a Finnish composites manufacturer, announced a collaboration with French airship designer and operator Flying Whales. The partnership aims…
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) and the state-owned airline of Angola, TAAG Angola Airlines E.P., have entered a six-year agreement…
Indonesia’s Ruang volcano erupted again on Tuesday (Apr. 30), leading to the cancellation of flights and closure of airports in…
Defense Technology Institute (DTI) Thailand has delivered two prototypes of the 105mm light howitzer CS/AH2 to the Artillery Battalion, Artillery…
Airbus has announced the launch of the Pléiades Neo Next programme, aimed at bolstering its high-resolution Earth observation satellite constellation,…
Eve Air Mobility joins Japan’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Public-Private Committee, as announced by the company’s press release on Tuesday…
ACIA Aero Leasing, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, announced the successful delivery of one of two ATR 72-500 Bulk Freighters to…
One TPS-P14ME Mobile Air Surveillance Radar System from Japan was officially handed over to the Philippines Air Force (PAF). The…
Skyllence, an international air charter broker, announced the appointment of Kestutis Abarius as Head of Sales on Monday (Apr. 29).…
Qatar Airways and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have reaffirmed their commitment to aiding the most vulnerable…
The Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) is set to acquire an additional five Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRVs) from Japan. These vessels…
Korean Air is set to open a new daily route connecting Seoul Incheon with Macau starting 1 July 2024, as…
Qatar Airways Cargo announced the opening of its advanced Animal Centre and the relaunching of its Next Generation Live product…
All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Air India, India's national flag carrier, have established a commercial agreement to initiate a codeshare…
Saab has completed the delivery of another GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the United Arab Emirates…
In what seems to be a continuation of Vietnam’s Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang's visit to South Korea in…
GD Helicopter Finance (GDHF), a Dublin-based helicopter leasing and finance company, has secured a contract with Airbus Helicopters and GDAT,…
Indian Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) IndiGo has announced a firm order for 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft in what is its first…
Racer demonstrator, developed by Airbus Helicopters as part of the European Research Clean Sky 2 initiative, has completed its inaugural…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.