Hi everyone,

I came looking in many topics but didn't go an answer, or at least got for regular/revenue/schedule flights.

Azul just flew 3 of their ATR from Toulouse to Brazil, but instead of making stops in Cape Verde before heading to Natal in the northeast point of Brazil, they made DSS-NAT, which is 103nm longer according to GreatCircleMapper.

The total is around 1.637nm in distance and was made in 7 hours and 57 minutes by FlightRadar and RadarBox data. I never seen in the past such a long ferry flight (at least for the ATR-72), but it's really a new record?

FYI: Flight numbers are AD9840/9841/9842 and tail numbers are PR-AKO, PR-AKN and PR-AKM. Config is Y72.

solracfunk14 wrote:

Hi everyone,

I came looking in many topics but didn't go an answer, or at least got for regular/revenue/schedule flights.

Azul just flew 3 of their ATR from Toulouse to Brazil, but instead of making stops in Cape Verde before heading to Natal in the northeast point of Brazil, they made DSS-NAT, which is 103nm longer according to GreatCircleMapper.

The total is around 1.637nm in distance and was made in 7 hours and 57 minutes by FlightRadar and RadarBox data. I never seen in the past such a long ferry flight (at least for the ATR-72), but it's really a new record?

FYI: Flight numbers are AD9840/9841/9842 and tail numbers are PR-AKO, PR-AKN and PR-AKM. Config is Y72.

Wow. I never seen like this before. But anyway, these ATRs are all originally ordered by Lion Group Wings Air, but for 2 years these aircraft was never taken up and so, Azul acquired them instead.

In this old thread SXI899 claims he has done 2000nm ferry flights on ATR : viewtopic.php?t=593431

With a full load of fuel, little or no pax or cargo, winds in favorable directions, it might be possible to do a long non-stop in a ATR-72.

I talked to one of the pilots and he told me that possible it's a new record but can't confirm. They flew slower than usual due LRC configuration.

They went via Dakar instead of Cape Verde due the ongoing issues with fuel shortage there, only regular and schedules flights are being able to refuel at the portuguese speaker islands.

how much fuel was left in the tanks? I'd guess the longest possible distance delivery flights would be from FAL at Toulouse to somewhere in Asia with prevailing winds pushing you onward.

The duration seems a little long here

In the past, I recall Intersky flew some really long sports charters with the ATR. BFS-TIA comes to mind, which was a little over 5 hours in the air and 1,300nm traveled. So I'm wondering why it took these ferry flights almost 3 hours longer to travel under 400nm further? Were they required to take a longer routing due to ETOPS?

PlymSpotter wrote:

The duration seems a little long here

In the past, I recall Intersky flew some really long sports charters with the ATR. BFS-TIA comes to mind, which was a little over 5 hours in the air and 1,300nm traveled. So I'm wondering why it took these ferry flights almost 3 hours longer to travel under 400nm further? Were they required to take a longer routing due to ETOPS?

BFS-TIA is eastbound with the winds, these planes were going westbound against the wind. Coupled with the extra 400nm and I can see it being about 3 hrs more. Remember 400nm in an ATR is already pushing close to 2 hrs of additional flying-speed is not the ATR’s forte.

Air North flew an ATR 42-320 from Whitehorse (CYXY) to Ottawa (CYOW) non stop a couple years ago, empty except for crew, was ferrying for maintenance. Flight time was ~9 hours if memory serves, 2247nm.

AirDO wrote:

solracfunk14 wrote:

Hi everyone,

I came looking in many topics but didn't go an answer, or at least got for regular/revenue/schedule flights.

Azul just flew 3 of their ATR from Toulouse to Brazil, but instead of making stops in Cape Verde before heading to Natal in the northeast point of Brazil, they made DSS-NAT, which is 103nm longer according to GreatCircleMapper.

The total is around 1.637nm in distance and was made in 7 hours and 57 minutes by FlightRadar and RadarBox data. I never seen in the past such a long ferry flight (at least for the ATR-72), but it's really a new record?

FYI: Flight numbers are AD9840/9841/9842 and tail numbers are PR-AKO, PR-AKN and PR-AKM. Config is Y72.

Wow. I never seen like this before. But anyway, these ATRs are all originally ordered by Lion Group Wings Air, but for 2 years these aircraft was never taken up and so, Azul acquired them instead.

Those three were supposed to be part of Wings Air's final 21 ATR 72-600s, including the 80th ATR 72 for Lion Air Group, completing their order for 100 ATR 72 airframes . Guess the cheque didn't come from Lion Air Group. I wonder how many newly built ATR 72 are looking for new owners now?

Going back to the topic, those ATR 72 deliveries to New Zealand also took a long distance to reach its home. The latest delivery ZK-MZF, delivery route: TLS-HER-RUH-MCT-MLE-KNO-SZB-DPS-DRW-BNE-AKL, whole journey took 10 days.