A newly acquired Embraer Brasilia 120 arrived at the company’s Adelaide Airport terminal this week and a second aircraft will be delivered early next year.

South Australian-owned AE Charter Services, which operates Air South and its sister charter operator, Rossair, have added seven operating staff to take the total pilot and cabin crew complement to 23.

The Embraer Brasilia 120 is a 30-seater aircraft and will be among the largest aircraft of its type available for charter based at the airport. With a maximum flying range fully laden of 800km, the new acquisitions are capable of flying routes from Adelaide into eastern WA, the Northern Territory, far west Queensland, western NSW and well into regional Victoria.

The combined and expanded fleet of aircraft comprises five Cessna 441 Conquests (9-seater), three Beechcraft 1900D (19-seater), a Beechcraft King Air (9-seater) and a Cessna 404 Titan (freight specific), and when in service, the two 30-seat Embraer Brasilias.

It is the only aircraft of its size to feature an auxiliary power unit (APU) able to deliver on-board air conditioning while stationary on the tarmac or taxiing, giving comfort to passengers in areas that face extreme temperature variations.