Singapore-based lessor Avation PLC delivered its first ATR 72-600 turboprop to South Korean regional carrier SUM Air on December 29, 2025, under a 12-year lease agreement. This marks SUM Air’s inaugural aircraft acquisition and Avation’s entry into the South Korean market.
The aircraft, acquired unencumbered by Avation through exercised purchase rights, forms part of a 2024 order for ten ATR 72-600s from the Airbus-Leonardo joint venture. Ferried from Toulouse via Turkey, Uzbekistan, and China, it arrived at Seoul’s Gimpo Airport on January 2, 2026.
Founded in November 2022 in Seoul, SUM Air secured its air carrier license from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on February 17, 2025. The carrier pioneers operations with up to 80-seat aircraft under revised regulations, previously capped at 50 seats. Its all-ATR 72-600 fleet targets domestic routes from Gimpo to Sacheon, Pohang, Gyeongju, Mokpo, and Jeju, plus future island services like Ulleungdo—set for a 1,200-meter runway airport in 2027—and potential Japan links.
SUM Air launched commercial operations on March 30, 2026, with the Gimpo-Sacheon route. Avation Executive Chair Jeff Chatfield noted the placement with this new client underscores long-term leasing strategy for next-generation turboprops suited to short runways and insular airports.
ATR has since secured an order for up to eight additional ATR 72-600s directly from SUM Air, expanding its regional footprint in Northeast Asia.