The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)
The Flights of the Lonely ATR 42
On December 19, 2005, a new daily (Monday-Friday) air service, linking Southern and Northern Italy, was inaugurated. The articulated routing comprises six legs: flight number I4 100 Reggio Calabria-Turin; I4 200 Turin-Bologna; I4 300 Bologna-Reggio Calabria; I4 350 Reggio Calabria-Bologna; I4 350 Bologna-Turin and I4 250 Turin-Reggio Calabria at dusk. All flights, with 30 minute ramp-stops, are operated with a single ATR-42-500 turboprop aircraft by Interstate Airlines of the Netherlands, with the commercial support of Rome-based Consulta. The routing and schedule are valid till March 31, 2006.
Interstate Airlines is a wet lease (ACMI) operator offering passenger, cargo and mail transport, air charter, government contracts and any other incidental services of air transportation for and on behalf of airlines, tour operators, airfreight-forwarders and integrators. The company currently operates two ATR 42-500s, two Airbus A 300-B4s and is in the process of obtaining Boeing B.737-300s.
After a suspension lasting 25 years, the Turin airport will be connected again with Bologna. During the Sixties and Seventies, Itavia was operating Turin-Bologna-Turin scheduled services with Handley Page Heralds and later with Fokker F28s and Douglas DC-9.
In the picture: ATR 42-500 PH-ISA “Aeroporto dello Stretto” operated by Interstate Airlines. Turin/Caselle 2005. (Aeromedia)
(Aeromedia, December 2005)