FLEET - South Air (Pakistan) took delivery of its first ATR72-500, serial 858, on wet lease from Jump Air (Lithuania). The aircraft is powered by PW127M engines.

 Image: South Air

FLEET - DR Congo's flyCAA exits turboprop market

flyCAA (BU, Kinshasa N'Djili) has exited turboprop operations with the sale of its last remaining ATR72-500 to UK-based Executive Jet Support, which intends to ferry the aircraft to WZL (Poland) at Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski in Poland for teardown as part of its continued investment programme in ATR - Avions de Transport Régional components.

According to ch-aviation data, 22.2-year-old 9S-ABD (msn 706) was the last of its kind in the flyCAA fleet.

Fitted with 68 seats in a single-cabin layout, the turboprop was first delivered to Air Dolomiti in 2004 and flew with Mistral Air from 2014, before being bought by flyCAA in 2019. It is currently stored at Ben Slimane, according to ch-aviation data.

In a statement, Executive Jet Support said the addition strengthens its ATR offering and will provide more parts to meet demand for reliable turboprop components. The transaction was facilitated by Skyworld Aviation, a UK-based specialist in regional aircraft sales.

ch-aviation has contacted flyCAA for comment.

Between 2019 and 2025, flyCAA operated another ATR72-500, 9S-AAD (msn 685), which it sold to KF Aerospace in October 2025, according to ch-aviation data.

flyCAA's remaining fleet now comprises three A320-200 narrowbodies and one A330-300 widebody, all dry leased from Carlyle Aviation Partners, plus one A321-200(PCF) freighter dry leased from Cargo Aircraft Management.

The airline serves ten domestic destinations, Kinshasa N'Djili, Bunia, Gemena, Kananga, Kindu, Kisangani, Kolwezi, Lubumbashi, Mbandaka, and Mbuji Mayi.

CH Aviation 

ROUTES - Malaysia's Berjaya Air to offer all-biz Koh Samui charter

Berjaya Air (J8, Kuala Lumpur Subang) will launch charter flights from Kuala Lumpur Subang to Koh Samui and Medan Kuala Namu on April 22, 2026, 3x weekly to each destination. The flights will be operated with ATR72-600 turboprops configured with 26 all-business-class seats. The airline has yet to receive the first of two -600 series aircraft on order, although it currently operates one ATR42-500 and one ATR72-500.

The routes expand Berjaya Air's network beyond its existing Kuala Lumpur Subang-Pulau Redang-Singapore Seletar service and target premium leisure travel within Southeast Asia.

CH Aviation / Photo: Berjaya

 

ROUTES - Philippines' Sunlight Air to end Manila ops in late 1Q26

Sunlight Air (2R, Manila Ninoy Aquino International) will transfer its operations from Manila Ninoy Aquino International to Angeles City Clark International effective March 29, 2026, complying with a government mandate to reduce congestion at the capital's main gateway.

Consequently, the airline will cease its daily Manila-Cebu service.

Manila Slot Coordination Committee (MSCC) Resolution 2025-02, issued on July 29, 2025, requires the relocation of turboprop aircraft from the country's primary hub to maximise runway slots for larger jet aircraft.

Sunlight Air joins fellow domestic operators Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air in ending turboprop operations in the capital. Both the flag carrier and the low-cost carrier have announced they will transfer their respective turboprop operations, flown by PAL Express, Cebgo, and AirSWIFT, to Clark by the March 29 deadline.

Based on ch-aviation data, Sunlight Air operates two ATR72-500s and one ATR72-600, which are being flown to six destinations across the Philippines, including Del Carmen (Siargao), Busuanga, and Caticlan.

CH Aviation

NEW AIRLINE - AirBorneo commenced operations on 2 January 2026 with its inaugural flights departing from Kuching International Airport. Initial services were operated using turboprop aircraft, including the DHC-6-400 and ATR 72-500, following the transfer of the airline from MASwings to the Sarawak government.

While the legal transfer is complete, passengers will notice a gradual transition in branding. Sarawak’s Minister for Transport, Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, confirmed that the MASwings brand will remain visible on some airframes and ground facilities for approximately six months as the fleet is progressively repainted with the new AirBorneo livery.

Fleet and Future Jet Operations

The airline currently operates a fleet of 14 turboprop aircraft, comprising eight ATR 72-500s and six Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otters. However, the 2026 roadmap includes a significant technological leap. 

The Sarawak government has already initiated talks for jet aircraft acquisition (specifically evaluating Embraer E2 and Airbus A220 platforms), with jet-powered services to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Jeju Island (South Korea) projected to begin in July 2026.

 

NEW AIRLINE / SPECIAL LIVERY - French Polynesian start-up Motu Link Airline (Papeete) plans to begin interisland cargo operations around December 2025, though the date remains provisional pending completion of regulatory and operational processes

Motu Link Airline, a cargo airline operating between the islands of French Polynesia, unveiled its first ATR 72-500 aircraft, featuring a livery designed by a local artist.

At launch, Motu Link intends to serve Papeete, Raiatea, Rangiroa, Bora Bora, Tubuai, and Nuku Hiva, with gradual expansion across the five archipelagos.

Photo: Motu Link Airlines

NEW AIRLINE - FlyJaya is a new Indonesian airline, founded in 2024, aiming to connect the vast archipelago.

Photo: Muh Fadhil Ramadhan

PK-FJA - ATR 72-212A(500)

Fly Jaya Airlines officially launched on July 3, 2025. The newly established airline, which began operations in 2024

FlyJaya has taken delivery of two ATR72-500s from Jetcraft Commercial, taking the start-up one step closer to certification and eventual launch.

FlyJaya plans to use ATR 72-500 aircraft for short-haul domestic flights, with initial routes including Jakarta to Bandung, Balikpapan, and Yogyakarta.

Initial Routes:

Initial planned routes include Jakarta-Bandung, Jakarta-Balikpapan, and Jakarta-Yogyakarta. 

FLEET - Air Mauritius adds ATR72-600s, replaces ATR72-500

 

Air Mauritius (MK, Mauritius) has announced it is replacing its ATR72-500s with ATR72-600s, with an additional -600 due to arrive in the Indian Ocean island this week and a second by the end of September, marking a "significant milestone" in strengthening its regional operations.

The airline already operates one company-owned 12-year-old ATR72-600, 3B-NCP (msn 1098), according to ch-aviation data.

In a statement, the airline said the second ATR72-600, to be registered as 3B-NCU (msn 1316), will depart from Toulouse Francazal this week to be ferried to Mauritius via stops at Luxor (Egypt), Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), and Nosy-Be (Madagascar). It will be deployed to Rodrigues Island and subsequently to St. Denis de la Réunion. It has been certified for Extended Twin Engine Operations Performance Standards (ETOPS) and has been specifically modified for Air Mauritius with flexible cargo handling and special transport capabilities to allow for the carriage of stretchers and medical evacuation equipment, especially on the Rodrigues route.

According to ch-aviation, the 9.4-year old aircraft is leased from DAE Capital. It previously flew for Xfly (Estonia) (EST, Tallinn Lennart Meri) under the registration ES-ATK.

Air Mauritius said it expects delivery of a third leased ATR 72-600 by the end of September to replace an ATR72-500. "The ATR72 fleet will then comprise one ATR72-500 and three ATR 72-600 aircraft," it stated.

The airline currently operates two ATR72-500s: the company-owned 23.2-year-old 3B-NBG (msn 690) and the 14.8-year-old 3B-NBN (msn 921), leased from DAE Capital.

CH Aviation

NEW AIRLINE - Indonesia's FlyJaya takes delivery of two ATR72-500s

 FlyJaya has taken delivery of two ATR72-500s from Jetcraft Commercial, taking the start-up one step closer to certification and eventual launch, currently planned for July 2025.

The lessor acquired the two units from Filipino operator Cebu Pacific Air and has since delivered them to the Indonesian regional carrier.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows that Cebu Pacific Air and its subsidiary Cebgo previously operated nine of the variant between 2008 and 2023. However, FlyJaya and Jetcraft Commercial did not immediately respond to queries from ch-aviation on the identities of the two aircraft or when they are expected to enter service.

Meanwhile, the airline has been advertising on social media in March 2025 for maintenance planners and engineers, as well as for a chief of technical services with a "deep understanding of ATR72 aircraft systems".

As ch-aviation previously reported, FlyJaya, which is still awaiting its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC), is not expected to begin scheduled operations until July 2025. The carrier plans to operate on the underserved route between Samarinda Tumenggung Pranoto and West Kutai (also known as Melalan Melak Airport). It is also mulling flights from Jakarta Halim to Balikpapan, Bandung, and Yogyakarta International.

CH Aviation

Image: FLYJAYA

FLEET - Madagascar Airlines plans to have six ATR72-500s, two of which will join its fleet in 2024, with a sovereign guarantee from the State.

Two more will come between the end of 2024 and the summer of 2025. The carrier’s old aircraft with high lease rates will also be returned.