SUM Air has taken delivery of its first ATR72-600 on lease from Avation.
HL5264 (msn 1745), a brand-new aircraft delivered to the lessor as a part of its 2024 order for ten units, was ferried from Toulouse Blagnac via Ankara Esenboga, Tashkent International, and Lanzhou to Seoul Gimpo over the course of December 31, 2025-January 2, 2026.
The 72-seat aircraft is equipped with new-generation Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127XT engines. The start-up took it on a 12-year lease.
"With the ATR72-600, SUM Air will address the transportation problems of areas with low air transport accessibility. Thanks to the revitalisation of regional airports, we will grow as a central airline for regional transportation connecting all of Korea," chief executive Choi Yong-deok said.
The start-up plans to use the aircraft to complete its certification and is tentatively hoping to begin commercial operations by mid-2026. It aims to add two more brand-new ATR72-600s in 2026.
