SPECIAL COLOURS - Alliance Airlines / N258JB / Embraer ERJ-190-100IGW

 Photo: Tomás Cubero Maingot - SJO Spotter

Commemorative painting for the 60th anniversary of three-time Formula 1 World Champion, Sir Jack Brabham (1959, 1960, and 1966). Paint job proudly done by COOPESA, Costa Rica. 

Photo: Alonso Cisneros

Alliance Air and ATR Extend 20-Year Maintenance Partnership

Toulouse, December 19, 2022 – Alliance Air, India’s national carrier, and market-leading regional aircraft manufacturer ATR, announce the extension of their Global Maintenance Agreement (GMA) for another five years. This year marks 20 years of partnership since the airline signed its first ATR pay-by-hour maintenance contract in December 2002.

Through this package, the airline will continue to benefit from the repair, overhaul and pooling services of Line Replaceable Units, along with the availability and maintenance of propellers and landing gears for its fleet of two ATR 42-600 and 18 ATR 72-600.

M. Vineet Sood, Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Air, said: “Our ATRs have been playing a strategic role in enabling us to offer our communities quick, comfortable and reliable access to essential services. 20 years ago, we decided to optimise our operations and maintenance activities with the ATR GMA. 20 years later, we reaffirm our trust in the manufacturer’s expertise, looking forward to reaching the next significant milestone of 25 years of a win-win partnership.”

ATR SVP Customer Support and Services, David Brigante, added: “When two companies work together for twenty years, it is not a transactional relationship, but a true partnership. As India’s national airline, Alliance Air provides crucial air links that create new opportunities for millions of people. Our job is to ensure that they can fulfill their mission every day. That’s why we have been continuously improving the quality of our services ever since our first agreement in 2002 to match Alliance Air’s needs and, more generally, the challenges of regional airlines today.

ATR

 

Qantas to acquire Alliance Aviation

Qantas has announced on 4 May 2022 that it has reached an agreement with Alliance Aviation to fully acquire the regional airline. Qantas has already been owning just shy of 20% of the company since 2019. The deal is subject to approvals from Alliance' shareholders as well as making sure the deal doesn't go against Australia competion laws.

Alliance Aviation has already been operating for Qantas with many of its ERJ190s under the QantasLink-brand. In total, the airline operates a fleet of 20 ERJ190s, four Fokker 50s, fourteen Fokker 70s and 25 Fokker 100s. They are the world's largest operator of Fokker-aircraft and will continue to do so.

Although part of the Qantas Group, Alliance Aviation will retain its brand but will also continue to operate under the QantasLink-brand.

Photo by Embraer.

Alliance Air to connect challenging airfields of the Himalayas with two brand new ATR 42-600

 

The 50-seaters will be leased via TrueNoord who confirms confidence in long-term value of ATR products


Singapore Airshow, February 15, 2022 – Market-leading aircraft manufacturer ATR and Alliance Air, the only Indian public airline, have signed a deal to acquire two ATR 42-600 via lessor TrueNoord. These new aircraft will support Alliance Air’s mission of serving challenging airfields in the Himalayas. The first deliveries to Alliance Air will start mid 2022.

The former regional subsidiary of Air India, which already operates 18 ATR 72-600, has chosen to complement its fleet with brand new ATR 42s as their unique credentials, both in terms of versatility and economics, make it the perfect aircraft to serve even the least accessible regions of India. The aircraft will be able to operate on the short runways of the Shimla and Kullu airports, both located at high altitudes, and exposed to high temperatures.

Vineet Sood, Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Air, said: “Our relationship with ATR started 20 years ago, and ever since we have been building a network that truly serves Indian communities, delivering comfortable, reliable and affordable air services. Thanks to the unique features of the ATR 42-600, Alliance Air will proudly fulfill the mission assigned by the Indian government to make the most inaccessible regions accessible.”

The high commonality between the ATR 72 and 42 will help make the introduction of this new aircraft type seamless. The airline will also continue to benefit from the manufacturer’s pay-by-the-hour maintenance programme, the ATR GMA, to optimise its operations and maintenance activities.

ATR CEO Stefano Bortoli said: “Renewed confidence from a historical customer is the best recognition of the efforts we are making every day to remain at the higher edge of technology whilst providing concrete solutions to operate the aircraft with the most sustainable business model. The fact that we will deliver the aircraft by the middle of this year is testament both to the recovery of the Indian domestic market and the essential need for affordable and reliable connectivity throughout the country.”

In 2021, 40 new routes were created in India with ATR aircraft.

Carst Lindeboom, Sales Director Asia Pacific at TrueNoord, added: “We are proud to be a strategic partner in enabling vital and essential connections to be made throughout India. With this new acquisition, we are firmly establishing the whole ATR family as a cornerstone of our portfolio of modern regional aircraft, and demonstrating our confidence in their long-term value.”

These are the third and fourth ATR 42 aircraft that TrueNoord is introducing into its fleet, as in December 2021, the lessor bought two ATR 42-600 to support Silver Airways’ development in the United States.

Special livery for Alliance Airlines newest ERJ190 " Air Force Centenary "

 On 25 March, Alliance Airlines welcomed its newest ERJ190 to the fleet. The aircraft, currently registered N912QQ (19000012) arrived at Brisbane after a two day delivery flight that started on 24 March at San Jose and went via Tuscon (AZ), Oakland (CA) and Honolulu (HI). The ERJ190 features a special livery celebrating the 100th birthday of the Royal Australian Air Force.

In the coming years, Alliance Airlines is set to take delivery of a total of thirty ERJ190s. So far it has taken delivery of five of them.

Photo via Alliance Airlines.

Scramble

Australia’s Alliance Aviation Services Limited takes delivery of the first of 14 E190s next month. The company acquired the aircraft from Azorra Aviation, a U.S. leasing company. The remaining 13 E190s will arrive through May 2021..

The fleet of E-Jets will operate for Alliance’s domestic and international charter, contract, and scheduled airline services. Alliance’s network extends across Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and South East Asia.

The agreement with Azorra includes six spare GE CF34 engines, ground support equipment, and an inventory of tools and training equipment. Alliance also has an option to acquire five more E190s and a full-flight simulator.

Managing Director Scott McMillan believes this is the ideal time to add the E190s as the company positions itself for growth. Mr. McMillan sees new business opportunities with 100-seat aircraft at a time when other airlines with larger jet types are facing difficulties.

Airnorth and Cobham Aviation also fly Embraer E-Jets in Australia.

 Tomás Cubero Maingot
N922QQ  - Embraer 190-100IGW
San Jose Juan Santamaria Int'l - MROC
Costa Rica

ALLIANCE AIRLINES / Fokker F70 / VH-QQW - "100 Years, First Aerial Flight From England / 12th November.1919 . 10the December"

Andrew Lesty
Edinburgh, Australia

ALLIANCE AIRLINES - FK70 - VH-KBX

Ton Jochems - BNE

ALLIANCE AIR - ATR 72-600 - F-WWEK msn 1439

Alain Charpentier - TLS

ALLIANCE AIR - ATR 72-600 - F-WKVC msn 1381

Alain Charpentier - TLS

Alliance Air first to launch under India's RCS

Alliance Air will be the first airline to commence operations under India's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), known as Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN). The Air India subsidiary will launch flights from Bathinda to Delhi Int'l later this month, reports Live Mint.
“We are looking to start operations from Bathinda this month," said Alliance Air CEO CS Subbiah. "It would be followed by Shimla and Indore. This should happen quickly. The rest should be operational by June."

Alliance Air was awarded a total of fifteen routes under the scheme, which aims to increase the penetration of air travel among India's working and middle classes by subsidizing flights to the country's 400+ underserved Tier II and III cities. Financing for the flights is through a system of financial incentives including Central and State government concessions and Viability Gap Funding (VGF). The VGF is partly funded through a levy on routes between Tier I cities, such as Delhi, Mumbai Int'l, Chennai, Hyderabad Int'l, Bangalore Int'l and Kolkata.

Subbiah expects the initial load factor on this first route to be 60% at the outset, reaching 80% within 18 months. The airline is acquiring more turboprop planes to expand its fleet which currently comprises two ATR42-300s and eight ATR72-600s.

ch aviation

ALLIANCE AIR - ATR-42-600 - VT-ABC

Alain Charpentier - TLS