Carrier Provides 'Fly-In, Fly Out' Services To Mining Industry

Alliance Airlines, a provider of “fly-in, fly-out” (FIFO) air services for Australia’s resources industry, said Wednesday that it will acquire four additional aircraft.

Alliance Fokker F70LR

Two of these aircraft are 100-seat Fokker F100 twinjets and the remaining two, which are new to Australia, are 70-seat Fokker F70 Long Range jets (F70LR). The F70LR can fly nonstop from all major regional centres and capital cities on the eastern seaboard to Western Australian mine sites.

The additional aircraft, the first of which arrived in Australia over the weekend, are being introduced specifically to support the rapid expansion currently being experienced by the resources industry. As an example, the long range capability of the Fokker F70LR will enable the delivery of a high quality FIFO product from the east coast direct to Western Australian mine sites, avoiding the additional cost, longer journey times and peak-period congestion at Perth Airport.

Brisbane-based Alliance has already reached agreement with one major customer to operate Fokker F70LRs nonstop from the east coast into a mine site in Western Australia’s northwest, and is in discussions with other companies. The airline also has plans to use the aircraft for a range of other tasks on the eastern seaboard.

“The decision to buy the Fokker F70LR aircraft was made after a review of the operating capabilities of a number of aircraft types,” said Scott McMillan, Managing Director of Alliance Airlines. “The capabilities of the F70LR and the ability to easily integrate the aircraft into our existing fleet made the F70LR a natural choice. These fleet additions provide a significant enhancement to Alliance Airlines’ capability to provide customised and efficient FIFO solutions.”

Following the delivery of the additional aircraft, the Alliance fleet will comprise 18 100-seat Fokker F100 and two 75-seat Fokker F70LR jets and five 50-seat Fokker F50 turboprops. The airline operates from bases in Brisbane, Townsville, Adelaide, Perth and Cairns.

FMI; www.allianceairlines.com.au