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DATE:28/05/10
SOURCE:Air Transport Intelligence news
PICTURES: Blue1 adopts new livery as it opts for 717s
By David Kaminski-Morrow
SAS Group's Finnish operation Blue1 is to start introducing Boeing 717 aircraft in the second half of this year, and intends to build a fleet of nine of the type.
The Helsinki-based carrier has also unveiled a new varied colour scheme for the aircraft which, it says, is designed to reflect flowing water and represent Finland's lakes.
Blue1, whose fleet already includes five Boeing MD-90s, says the 120-seat aircraft will enable it to increase frequencies and serve a rapidly-expanding network.
The first 717 will arrive in autumn this year and the carrier says it intends to move to a single-type fleet, initially phasing out the MD-90s and then removing its seven BAE Systems Avro RJ85s.
© Blue1
The airline describes the 717 as "representing the tip of the whole regional jet category", and a good fit for Blue1's future traffic programme.
Blue1 has not identified the airframes involved but says they will be drawn from different sources. Thai carrier Bangkok Airways has recently phased out its examples while European carrier Quantum Air, which collapsed earlier this year, also had a 717 fleet.
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