The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)
Alitalia Express Replaces Older ATR 42s
The first ATR 42 put in service by ATI, registration I-ATRB, made its inaugural flight on 15th September 1986, on the Florence-Milan route; nine more aircraft were delivered to the former Alitalia domestic subsidiary within 1988.
During 1987 two ATR 42s were purchased by Avianova, a new regional carrier set up by parent company Alisarda (later Meridiana). In a short time, Avianova underwent a surprising property change: in two successive moves, main competitor Alitalia bought 50% of the total shares and then it took complete control of the airline: soon Avianova was the recipient of all the ATI ATR 42s. In 1998, after the unlucky Fokker 70 programme, Avianova became Alitalia Express.
On last January, Alitalia Express announced the decision to start a replacement programme for its ageing ATR 42 fleet. Three aircraft will be given back to the ATR consortium, that in turn will provide the airline with the same number of brand new ATR 72-500s.
Two of them will arrive by July, when ATR 42 I-ATRN and I-ATRP will be drawn back from service; the third ATR 72-500 will be delivered by December, concurrently with the return of ATR 42 I-ATRD.
The remaining ATR 42s will be replaced in a second time with the same number of 50-seater regional jet, to be chosen between Embraer EMB-145 and Canadair CRJ 200, awaiting the availability of a new generation of advanced regional airliners.
In the picture: ATR 42 I-ATRL "Fiume Adige" of Alitalia Express.
(Aeromedia, March 1999)