Julian Moxon/SONDERBORG
Danish regional airline Cimber Air is to expand its fleet with the purchase of ATR 72s and, eventually, regional jets. The plan follows the airline's sale of a 26% stake to SAS.
The carrier has been linked with SAS since October 1995, operating feeder services into Copenhagen, as well as with Lufthansa, providing connections within Germany. Nielsen says that "-entering into close alliances is a natural step" in the development of Cimber Air, which plans to increase its fleet from the current mix of 13 ATR 42-300s and -500s to include the larger ATR 72s and regional jets.
Cimber president Jorgen Nielsen reveals that orders for "at least three" ATR 72-500s will be placed within a year, while the decision on a regional jet is between two "paper aircraft" - the proposed ATR regional jet and Fairchild Dornier 728JET. "We're not interested in derivative aircraft," says Nielsen. "It must be designed purely for the regional market," he adds.
Cimber Air was on the working group to define the cancelled Aero International (Regional) Airjet and is pushing ATR for an early decision on whether it will pursue a follow-on programme.
ATR European sales director Christophe Potocki says that a decision on relaunching a regional jet must be taken "-before the end of the year if we do not want to miss the boat". Talks with Spain's CASA and other potential risk sharing partners are still under way, although he adds that "-we have little hope of any major deal with Asian companies because of the financial situation over there".
Cimber says that its fleet plans, which include upgrading the 10 remaining ATR 42-300s to -500s "within 16 months", are aimed at increasing flexibility and attracting business traffic away from the Danish railway system.
Nielsen, whose father started the airline in 1950, objects to the Government's recent decision to impose a $17 round-trip departure tax on domestic services, which he says adds up to a "hidden subsidy for the railways".
Source: Flight International
