Bangkok Airways took delivery of its first ATR 72-600 at a special ceremony in Toulouse, France. The handover marked a key milestone in the carrier’s development as it plans to take delivery of nine new ATR aircraft from now until 2017. The newcomer will join Bangkok Airways’ existing fleet of ATR 72-500s and will be operated on the airline’s expanding network of domestic and regional services.

Captain Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, president of Bangkok Airways, stated: “The delivery is part of Bangkok Airways’ strategy of matching our growing network and frequency requirements with the right aircraft. Choosing ATR for our regional operations is a logical step.”

Patrick de Castelbajac, chief executive officer of ATR said: “ATR and Bangkok Airways have a very productive and long-term relationship. We are delighted to further contribute to the development of Bangkok Airways, especially in the period of growth for the airline.”

There are currently more than 300 ATR aircraft in operation in Asia-Pacific, flying the colours of more than 50 airlines.