Angolan aviation services company Bestfly is taking delivery of its first two ATR 72-600 regional aircraft. The twin-engine, turboprop regional airliners have been leased from ACIA Aero Capital group and wil be used specifically for charter. Aircraft number one has been ferried to Luanda already and the second should arrive imminently.

Complementing the existing Bestfly fleet of fifteen fixed wing aircraft and two helicopters, the addition of the ATR 72-600s marks an important evolution for the business as it adds corporate shuttle service operations to its existing jet, turboprop and rotary charter services. CEO and founder Nuno Pereira anticipates the new aircraft will be kept busy supporting corporate charters for the energy sectorand private charters for the expanding national business fraternity and will interline with international commercial business class passengers requiring further transport across the vast nation of Angola.

Following completion of certification by the Angolan CAA (INAVIC), the first charter flight is slated for the beginning of September from Luanda to Cabinda. Configured with 72 seats, the aircraft will offer passengers the benefits of travelling in the widest cabin in the regional turboprop sector, increased overhead baggage space and newly designed seats offering 30 inch pitch. The increased comfort, competitive operating costs and dispatch reliability were all key factors in the company's selection of this model, which according to Bestfly delivers up to 40 per cent less fuel burn than the closest competitor aircraft. With the ability to operate on unpaved and short runways, it is also well suited to the terrain of Angola and west Africa. The combined attributes and the versatility of the aircraft, Bestfly says, meet its needs for flexibility in an underserved market.

“We are a customer-centric organisation, and we are responding to the growing demand for this type of aircraft from our clients,” says Pereira. “As ATR is one of the world's leading regional aircraft manufacturers we're also proud to be doing our part to expand regional connectivity in Angola by basing these aircraft here. This is another first for us, but it certainly won't be our last. As a leading aviation company in Angola, we serve customers with our offshore helicopters, small to large business jets and now the ATRs. We are working hard to provide an extremely well-rounded offering to the growing business market here in Angola and further afield.”

Based at Aeroporto Internacional Quatro de Fevereiro, the ATR 72-600s join a fleet containing one Gulfstream G550, a Gulfstream G450, a Global Express, a Challenger 605 and two Learjet 45s, as well as a Falcon 900, four King Airs and two Leonardo AW139 helicopters. Bestfly has invested in crew and technical training and is working closely with ATR to support aircraft operations.

Established in November 2009, Bestfly consists of a group of companies, offering ground handling, aircraft management and charter, and helicopter offshore services to the oil and gas industry.