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Alliance plans to keep Fokkers flying for next decade

written by australianaviation.com.au | November 9, 2015

Alliance is significantly expanding its Fokker 100 fleet. (Paul Sadler)Alliance Aviation Services says it has plans to ensure its all-Fokker fleet keeps flying for the next decade.

The primarily fly-in/fly-out and charter operator has 15 Fokker 100s, eight Fokker 70LRs and five Fokker 50 turboprops, having sold two Fokker 100s to Virgin Australia in the past year that were surplus to requirements.

Alliance managing director Scott McMillan said there was still available capacity to be extracted from the existing fleet, particularly “away from the traditional mid-week demand peaks”.

“Our fleet strategy remains simple as we continue to develop our F70 capability to meet the changing needs of our customers in the pursuit of operational and cost efficiency,” McMillan told shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting on Monday in prepared remarks.

“As we look to the future, I know that Alliance has the right fleet for its service offering. It must therefore work with its partners to prolong the life of these reliable aircraft.

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“Alliance continues to look for ways to provide cost effective solutions to support our reliable Fokker fleet for the next eight to 10 years.”

In August, the company announced it was closing its Brisbane heavy maintenance base and sending its all-Fokker fleet to Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Technik Bratislava for regular heavy maintenance checks. The move reduced capital expenditure by about A$20 million a year, Alliance said at the time.

McMillan said the partnership with Austrian Technik was performing well.

“We will continue to focus on revenue opportunities, invest in aircraft maintenance and secure access to a pipeline of spare parts to support the flying activities of the Fokker fleet for many years to come,” McMillan said.

Alliance chairman Steve Padgett told shareholders the company remained committed to “revisiting the payment of a dividend for the year ended 30 June 2016”.

The company did not pay a dividend in 2014/15 as it continued to work on changes to its operations.

Padgett said the focus for the period ahead was to continue to focus on developing new revenue sources and to diversify the business.

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Comments (12)

  • Dave

    says:

    Aren’t these things already pretty old? I would hope they go through a bit of a cabin facelift

  • John Phillips

    says:

    Ex Ansett fleet?

  • Roy Fordham

    says:

    I’m surprised those ‘Fokkers’ were still airworthy, wouldn’t be happy flying them, that’s for sure.

  • Damian

    says:

    No they aren’t ex Ansett. Alliance’s first Fokker 100s were ex Flight-West Airlines, which was a Queensland-based Ansett partner. The rest of Alliance’s fleet would be a mixed bag sourced from a host of other operators. Given their low(er) utilisation they will last longer than otherwise.

    Given both Qantas and Virgin have been ramping up their Fokker fleets I’d feel pretty they have a long life ahead…….low acquisition and depreciation costs more than offsetting (slightly) higher fuel and maintenance costs vs something like a new(ish) Embraer!

  • James

    says:

    The fokkers are very well maintained inside and out. No issues flying them.

  • Tim

    says:

    Apart from the initial 4 ex flight west aircraft, some of the other F100s came United Airlines. Can’t imagine these would of had an easy life.

  • Kim

    says:

    In 2000 flew in one of these to Norfolk Island. Very comfy but a little cramped -cattle class only. Better trip than the one we did in 1969 on a Douglas DC6B, which lost an engine 1hr. out of Norfolk. Still -had 3 left!

  • Les From sydney

    says:

    Still, they look a nice plane.

  • TrashHauler

    says:

    @ Roy. Fokker make great aircraft and they are a twin turbine RPT aeroplane. Saying you wouldn’t travel on something like an F100 is like saying you wouldn’t want to travel on a Qantas 747- they are a similar vintage

  • Paul

    says:

    I fly in a Virgin one every 3 weeks, slightly dated inside but very comfortable.

  • Marty

    says:

    Rode in the f50 for 12 months fifo out if bris
    Hope they get rid of the smell
    Stinks like bad feet
    The f70 were fine only the props smelled

  • Mac Carter

    says:

    Alliance used an F 100 for RPT Townsville to Brisbane and return for a time many years ago,
    I found the Fokker comfortable to travel in for the about two hour trip.
    How about a Fokker jet service Townsville to Cairns Alliance?

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