Project to save Manx Airlines plane

Former staff want Advanced Turbo Pop preserved

An ambitious project to rescue a type of plane, which carried more passengers for  Manx Airlines than all its other aircraft combined, has been launched this week.

A team of former staff plan to rescue and restore a dilapidated 'Advanced Turbo Prop' (ATP) aircraft and put it on permanent display a the Aviation Museum at Ronaldsway Airport.

Manx Airlines began operating in 1982, with the 16 strong fleet of 68-seater ATP's carrying passengers during the airline's period of expansion in the early 1990's.

The derelict plane was donated by West Atlantic to the volunteers, who now want to raise £10,000 to fund the restoration, which they hope to complete by next year.

Student engineers from UCM training at the West Atlantic hangar in the airport will get the chance to use the restoration project to hone their skills. 

A supporter of the project is Manx airline's former chief executive Terry Liddiard:

If you'd like a donation you can head to justgiving.com/crowdfunding/savetheatp and for more information go the facebook page 'Save the ATP'.