FLEET - PNG Air phases out DHC-8-100 fleet

PNG Air has discontinued Dash 8 operations, with the last two DHC-8-100s completing their final commercial flights at the end of June. The retirement of these aircraft means the airline will now operate exclusively with ATR aircraft.
A third Dash 8 configured for cargo, P2-MCG (MSN 006), remains in Port Moresby. CEO Brian Fraser stated that all three aircraft have been sold and will continue to fly with other airlines.
PNG's current fleet consists of ten ATR72-600s and three ATR42-600s.

Photo: PNG

TOKI AIR inaugurates commercial flights to the airport with the world's shortest runway, operated by an ATR 42-600.

Photo: TOKI AIR

Japan’s startup airline TOKI AIR completed its first commercial flight to Sado Airport with an ATR 42-600, operating into the shortest commercial runway in the world served by an ATR 42-600.

Measuring at 890 metres, Sado Airport is not just another destination on the map. It is a highly constrained operating environment on an island off the coast of Niigata Prefecture. One where air connectivity can make a tangible difference for residents, businesses and visitors, yet where operational limitations mean that only a handful of aircraft can safely operate.

hat is what makes this first commercial flight so significant. Serving Sado requires the right combination of airline expertise, careful preparation and aircraft performance. The ATR 42-600 is among the largest commercial aircraft types able to serve the airport, reflecting ATR’s proven ability to connect demanding regional destinations, including those with runways below 1,000 metres. In a region also known for strong winds, its 45kt crosswind capability provides additional operational flexibility, helping make commercial connectivity possible where infrastructure constraints would otherwise limit access.

Sado’s runway environment also highlights the importance of aircraft certification and airport infrastructure working together. The runway’s grooved surface, designed to improve water drainage and runway conditions, supports safe operations in challenging environments. ATR has specifically certified the wet grooved runway performance on the ATR 42-600, helping to unlock this type of operation and enabling regional operators to serve airports with demanding characteristics.

Connecting Sado Island

Taking its inaugural flight at the end of May, this milestone marks a new chapter in the airline’s mission to improve regional connectivity across Niigata and beyond, as from the outset, connecting Sado has been a key priority.

TOKI AIR takes its name from the toki, the Japanese crested ibis, a bird closely associated with Sado Island, where major conservation efforts have helped restore its population. That link gives this first commercial service an added resonance: an airline named after one of the island’s most emblematic symbols now helping reconnect it by air.

For Sado Island, the launch of commercial service means easier access to the mainland, stronger links for local communities, and new opportunities for mobility, tourism and economic activity.

In a protected island environment, the role of regional aviation is not only to connect, but to do so responsibly. With the lowest fuel burn, CO₂ emissions, and noise footprint in its class, the ATR is uniquely well-suited to meet Sado’s essential connectivity needs.

With this first commercial flight to Sado Airport, TOKI AIR and the ATR 42-600 have demonstrated what regional aviation can achieve when the right aircraft meets the right mission.

This is where regional aviation delivers its full value: not only by flying communities efficiently, but by enabling the connections that matter most.

Congratulations to TOKI AIR and all the teams involved in making this milestone possible.
ATR

SPECIAL LIVERY - JSX / ATR 42-600 / N409SV - "Spirit of Santa Monica"

Duncan Stewart - LAX

FLEET - AZORRA Delivers First Atr42-600 To JSX

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA Azorra has delivered the first of two ATR42-600 aircraft to Dallas-based public charter air carrier JSX, marking a new customer relationship for Azorra and its expanding footprint in North America. 

The ATR’s performance capabilities will enable JSX to expand its public charter service to thousands more airports across the United States – airports that generally do not or cannot receive service from network airlines.

Michael Davis, Chief Marketing Officer, Azorra, says: “We are happy to announce that Azorra has delivered the first of two ATR 42-600s on lease to JSX. Building on the momentum of their 10-year anniversary, JSX continues to innovate by connecting underserved airports across the United States and enabling travelers to bypass congested airport hubs.

“JSX offers a hassle-free flying experience, and the introduction of these aircraft will provide even more travel options for their customers. 

We greatly value JSX’s vision and are excited to begin this mutually beneficial partnership.”

Jeff Simmons, Chief Financial Officer, JSX, says: “We’re looking forward to expanding ATR42-600 operations as demand for our public charter service continues to rise. Balancing product and fuel efficiency is more important now than ever before and we appreciate Azorra’s partnership as JSX looks to shape the next generation of regional air travel.”

AZORRA

 

FLEET - PNG Air to lease three ATR42-600s from local landowners Support Contact Newsroom Print Page

Three Papua New Guinean landowner companies have each acquired a new ATR42-600 and will lease them to PNG Air (CG, Port Moresby), according to a government press release. The aircraft will be contracted to holding company Ok Tedi Mining and will replace the airline's ageing DHC-8-100 fleet.

The turboprops are being acquired through three Ok Tedi Mining shareholder companies: Mineral Resources Star Mountain, Mineral Resources Ok Tedi, and Mineral Resources CMCA. Ok Tedi Mining currently contracts fly-in/fly-out charters using three DHC-8-100s and a DHC-6-400 operated by Pacific Direct and Hevilift (PNG), respectively.

Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) managing director Augustine Mano said PNG Air will manage the aircraft under a long-term lease. The press release noted that the first ATR42-600 departed ATR - Avions de Transport Régional's Toulouse facility on May 20.

ADS-B data shows that P2-ATT (msn 1804) was ferried from Toulouse Francazal to Port Moresby, via multiple stops in Europe and Asia, between May 20 and May 26, 2026. It carries a standard PNG Air livery. In a social media statement, the airline confirmed that the aircraft is owned by "Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) landowners [and] will be managed and flown by PNG Air across our network."

Mano said the new aircraft will replace the airline's Dash 8s, which have an average age of 40 years, per ch-aviation data. He added that other landowner companies are expected to acquire three additional aircraft in the future.
"This is history because, for the first time, landowners are buying aircraft directly from the factory and leasing them to a major airline company under a long-term arrangement," Mano said.

It is unclear whether this MRDC transaction overlaps with PNG Air's previously announced ATR orderbook. The airline took delivery of the first of three ATR42-600s on its direct order, P2-ATU (msn 1216), on May 10, 2026.

ch-aviation has reached out to PNG Air for additional details.

PNG Air's fleet consists of 16 aircraft: one ATR42-600, nine ATR72-600s, one inactive ATR72-600C, four DHC-8-100s (one of which is inactive), and one inactive DHC-8-100(PF). The airline plans to expand its total ATR fleet to approximately 18 aircraft.

CH-Aviation

ROUTE - Drukai launched Paro – Gelephu – Kolkata service on 08 December 2025, with ATR42-600.

 

FLEET - US’s JSX to debut ATR42-600 fleet in late 4Q25

 
JSX (United States of America) will start using its new ATR42-600 aircraft on December 19, 2025, with the launch of a new route between Santa Monica in California, and Las Vegas Harry Reid, the airline announced in a press release.

The aircraft, N408SV (msn 1602), expected to be re-registered as N400JX, will have 30 seats onboard, to adhere to the carrier’s Part 135 certificate. It is the first of a total of four ATR42-600s that JSX will take delivery of in the coming months, with options to acquire as many as 25 additional turboprops from ATR - Avions de Transport Régional.

The new route will be operated seven days a week, starting with one flight per day, the company said.

JSX took delivery of N408SV in November. It is currently stored at the company's base at Dallas Love Field. Its fleet currently comprises one ATR42-600, fifteen E135s, and thirty-eight E145s.

CH Aviation / Photo: JSX

FLEET - Toki Air takes first ATR42-600

Toki Air (BV, Niigata) has taken delivery of its first ATR42-600 during a handover ceremony at Toulouse Blagnac, although the aircraft has yet to be ferried to Japan.

JA03QQ (msn 1618) was delivered around a year behind the original schedule, which foresaw the delivery in late 2023. 

The aircraft will join Toki Air's existing fleet of two ATR72-600s.

Toki Air had also planned to add a single ATR42-600S but the short-take-off-and-landing variant was recently scrapped by ATR - Avions de Transport Régional and will not be produced. It recently said that the manufacturer's decision would not impact its immediate plans but might force a reevaluation of fleet strategy going forward.
CH Aviation

Photo: 湯小沅