ATR Aircraft hit a big milestone in deliveries of its Turboprop family, with the 1,700th aircraft delivered.
The 1,700th aircraft has been delivered to a longstanding customer of ATR Aircraft – Air Cosica.
The delivery of this ATR 72-600 to the French airline completes the full transition of its fleet of ATR -500 series to the latest generation of turboprop aircraft, used to build out regional connectivity whilst maintaining costs and meeting sustainability agednas.
Air Corsica was the first operator to take delivery of an ATR 72-600 equipped with the new PW127XT engine in November 2022, which resulted in a 20% reduction in maintenance costs and at least a 3% reduction in fuel consumption compared with the PW127M. It generates a CO2 emission saving of 45% compared with a similar-sized regional jet.
With this delivery, the airline now operates seven ATR 72-600 aircraft, powered by the latest PW127XT engines.
In Quotes
Marie-Hélène Casanova-Servas, President of Air Corsica’s Supervisory Board, said:
“Completing our fleet renewal with the ATR 72-600 is a pivotal moment for Air Corsica, reflecting our commitment to providing the best possible service to our passengers and supporting the economic vitality of our island. This latest-generation aircraft enhances our operational efficiency and significantly reduces our environmental impact, aligning perfectly with our vision of a more sustainable future for air travel in Corsica. By investing in this modern fleet, we are ensuring that our island remains well-connected, fostering growth and opportunity for our communities.”
Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, ATR’s Chief Executive Officer, emphasised:
“Delivering our 1,700th aircraft to Air Corsica marks a major milestone in our partnership and highlights our joint commitment to setting the standard for regional connectivity. This achievement also underscores ATR’s resilience, unmatched adequacy for the regional market, and capacity to provide highly-efficient, versatile aircraft that empower airlines to thrive in the dynamic regional aviation sector.”
Building out regional connectivity
ATR’s strength has been to help airlines and lessons to build out regional connectivity at a cost level that’s manageable – and its proved to be one of the survivors of this segment, as it saw off Bombardier/De Haviland (which is now remarketing refurbished aircraft), whilst competing with Embrear in the regional market in the up-to 76 seat category.
Reginal markets allow ATR to experiment in markets where other airline manufacturers choose not to go – for example, the ATR42-600S, which is capable of a take-off with an 800-metre runway (based on a 200-mile flight, 70% load factor), through to the more traditional smaller ATR42-600, its larger ATR72-600, as well as specialized versions with its High-Line platform, allowing for premium and special-mission aircraft.
It’s always worth keeping an eye on and seeing how ATR innovates next.
But there are many more aircraft to build in the meantime.
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An absolute success story, great aircraft and operated on every continent. Had a jump seat trip in one a few years back, sturdy reliable aircraft indeed.