Danish operator Sun Air has signed a purchase agreement for a Dornier 328JET, which will join its existing fleet of eight Dornier 328 turboprops and Jetstream 31s.

The company, which has also optioned for a second aircraft from AvCraft Aerospace, will operate the aircraft from its base in Billund.

Commenting on the choice of aircraft (which had previously been assigned to China’s Hainan Airlines), Sun Air ceo Niels Sundberg said: “We have been delighted with the performance and reliability of the Dornier 328 turboprop and its comfortable cabin has been positively received by our passengers. We think it is an aircraft for this century – the Mercedes of the skies.”

Operating in the name of British Airways – a franchise it has had since 1996 – the company will launch a new route between Copenhagen and London City Airport this winter. With a view to targeting the financial sectors in Denmark and England, Sun Air will operate two return flights every weekday.

Although AvCraft Aerospace filed for insolvency on March 10, the company is continuing to look for potential buyers for its facility in Oberpfaffenhofen. Hopeful that Sun Air’s confidence will be echoed by other operators, AvCraft md Wolfgang Walter said: “This really demonstrates customer confidence in both the aircraft and also in the support that AvCraft can offer.”