According sources close to Interstate Airlines, cn 1189 should be ready for delivery towards the end of November. The aircraft will be used to operate for third parties on an ACMI-basis. The same way they operate their ATR-42 PH-ISA. The airline is based at Maastricht (EHBK/MST) in the southern part of the Netherlands but their aircraft appear only sporadically for maintenance and short time storage, in between ACMI-contracts.
Registration PH-RST revers to the owner of Interstate Airlines, Mr. Roberto Stinga, founder of Air Exel, KLM Exel, V-Bird etc....
cn 1189 is reported to be the first of 8 L1011's, owned by a consortium of mainly Scandinavian investors who are convinced there is a niche market for the L1011. Interstate Airlines holds an AOC and will operate these aircraft for this consortium. All aircraft are reportedly stored in the Californian deserts and will be pulled out, one by one, for maintenance in Amman and brought into service as requirements demand. According to my source, Interstate Airlines are having a hard time finding crews for the TriStars....