ASL Airlines Ireland to take five ATR72-600 freighters

ASL Airlines Ireland (ABR, Dublin Int’l) has confirmed it will be the ATR72-600 freighter’s launch operator when it takes delivery of EI-GUL (msn 1653) in early 2021. The newest variant of the Avions de Transport Régional turboprop conducted its first test flight at Toulouse Blagnac airport on September 16, 2020. ASL Airlines Ireland said it would take a total of five ATR72-600(F)s from the batch of 30 (with options for a further 20) ordered in 2017 by FedEx Express (FX, Memphis Int’l). The Irish carrier will operate the turboprops on behalf of FedEx. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, FedEx Express does not itself operate any turboprop freighters. Instead, it owns twenty ATR42-300(F)s, which it then leases to Empire Airlines (EM, Coeur d’Alene) (11), Mountain Air Cargo (MTN, Kinston) (eight), and Gulf & Caribbean Cargo (IF, Pontiac) (one), which in turn operate them on FedEx’s behalf. The cargo carrier also leases six ATR72-200(F)s to Empire Airlines, nine to Mountain Air Cargo, and one to Morningstar Air Express (MAL, Edmonton Int’l). ASL Airlines Ireland operates five ATR42-300(F)s, thirteen ATR72-200(F)s, and two ATR72-500(F)s on behalf of FedEx. All of these aircraft are owned by various ASL Aviation Holdings entities, except for one dry-leased from TrueNoord. Besides the ATRs operated on behalf of FedEx, ASL Airlines Ireland also operates a further two ATR72-200(F)s, four A300-600R(F)s, one A330-200(F), two A330-300(F)s, seven B737-400(F)s, two B737-400(SF)s, and two B737-800(BCF)s. The ATR72-600(F) will be ATR’s first dedicated freighter based on the -600 subvariant. The ATR42-600 does not exist as a freighter, neither as a new-build nor P2F-converted type.