South Korea’s newest regional airline, SUM Air, has ordered four ATR 72-600 aircraft, with options for four more. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028. The agreement was signed at the France–Korea bilateral economic forum in Seoul, attended by the French President.
SUM Air, founded in 2022, started commercial operations on March 10, 2026, after receiving its Air Operator Certificate. It launched services with a leased ATR 72-600 from Avation, initially on the Gimpo–Sacheon route. The airline plans to serve underserved regions in South Korea, including future island airports like Ulleungdo, and develop short-haul international routes to Japan and China.
The leased aircraft, delivered in late 2025, was part of Avation’s 2024 order for ten ATR 72-600s. ATR views South Korea as a market with untapped potential, projecting a fleet of 25 to 30 ATR 72 aircraft there in the coming years.