French Polynesia-based Air Tahiti Tuesday took delivery of its 25th ATR aircraft, an ATR 72-500.

Air Tahiti is also one of the launch customers of the new ATR ‘-600 series’ aircraft, with an order for 3three ATR 42-600s and two ATR 72-600s which will start to be delivered in spring 2011. Air Tahiti will become at the same time the first operator of ATR ‘-600s’ in the South Pacific.

The ATR 72-500 delivered Tuesday , configured with 66 seats, is equipped with ETOPS (Extended Range Twin-engine Operations) 120 minutes and with the ‘Elegance’ cabin. The aircraft is powered by PW 127M engines and features technological innovations in passenger comfort, communications and navigation aid tools.

Maté Galenon, MD of Air Tahiti, said: “For more than 20 years, the ATR have proven to be the right choice for our interisland operations. The high commonality between the ATR 42s and ATR 72s represents a clear advantage for us, as it allows us to operate our fleet optimally in some forty destinations, while minimising our operating costs.”

Since the beginning of the program, ATR has sold 985 aircraft (422 ATR 42s and 563 ATR 72s).