Airnorth's jet details

What the new jet will look like. (Livery added by a graphic artist.)

Airnorth has announced details of its new jet (first reported in the Kimberley Echo on November 2).

The airline intends to acquire a 70-seat Embraer E170 that will be used on routes in the NT and WA.

Chief executive officer Michael Bridge said: "After an extensive evaluation process over the last nine months involving presentations and proposals from three separate aircraft manufacturers, we can proudly say we have chosen the Embraer E170 regional jet for our future jet operations."

At this stage it is planned to fly the new jet on the Darwin/Kununurra/Broome route on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with the later introduction of a Darwin/Kununurra/Perth service on a Sunday, which might be increased to a second service on a Thursday.

The Embraer E170 is a new-generation aircraft engineered from the ground up and designed specifically to serve markets that can be optimised with 70-seat capacity equipment.

The aircraft are built in Brazil and are now successfully operating throughout the world with more than 900 orders and a production line sold out until after 2010.

The key features of the Embraer E170 include superior cabin spaciousness, generous under-floor cargo capacity, state-of-the-art avionics, fly-by-wire technology and extraordinary, uncompromising performance, all of which are so important in tropical conditions.

The Embraer E170 has been acquired through a lease/purchase contract with GECAS, the aircraft financing Unit of GE.

This represents an investment in excess of $34 million for Capiteq, Airnorth's parent company.

The aircraft will be delivered in the third quarter of 2007 and is expected to enter service immediately once regulatory approval has been received.

Although Mr. Bridge would not specifically say which contracts or communities the new aircraft will service he did say that he was looking forward to working with several existing clients and the communities currently being serviced by Airnorth's Embraer EMB120 fleet as well as working with Airnorth's airline partner, QANTAS to determine what other opportunities may present themselves in the future.

A larger Embraer E190 (90-seat) E-Jet was flown into Darwin for last week's announcement.