VH-AK2

VH-AK2 is an ATR-72-201/202, a twin-engine turboprop operated by AERLINK PTY LTD. SkyMeter has tracked 776 flights totalling 1,224 hours of airtime via ADS-B across 13 callsigns. The most frequent segment is YBBN to YBMK. Service window in our records spans 357 days. Of those flights, 6 (0.8%) carry at least one detected incident — go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The ATR-72-201/202 has a 89 ft wingspan, a maximum takeoff weight of 47,400 lb.

About the ATR-72-201/202

The ATR 72 is the world's best-selling regional turboprop, a twin-engine workhorse built by the French-Italian consortium Avions de Transport Régional since 1988. Stretched from the earlier ATR 42, the -72 carries up to 78 passengers on routes under 900 nautical miles, dominating short-haul markets where jet economics falter. Its Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127 engines burn roughly half the fuel per seat of competing regional jets, making it the go-to choice for thin routes, island-hopping, and cargo feeders across six continents. More than 1,000 have been delivered, with the glass-cockpit -600 variant (introduced 2010) now the production standard.

The type's high-wing design and rugged landing gear let it operate from unpaved strips and hot-and-high airports that challenge jets, while its 25,000-foot service ceiling and 250-knot maximum speed keep block times competitive on sectors under two hours. The -72 has become the backbone of regional connectivity in Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean, where its economics and field performance are unmatched. It also serves specialized roles: the -72ASW maritime patrol variant hunts submarines for navies worldwide, and cargo operators prize its rear loading door and 16,500-pound payload.

SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.