Launch Customer Of Latest ATR -600 Series Expands ATR Fleet

Moroccan national flag-carrier, Royal Air Maroc, is adding an additional ATR 72-600 to its fleet. This will bring its total ATR 72-600 fleet to six aircraft. The aircraft will be delivered before the end of the year and will be configured in the same dual-class configuration as the airline’s current ATR fleet.

"Seeing the launch customer of the ATR -600 series place a repeat order is a real source of pride for us, as it validates the enduring quality of our product and proves that it is the ideal solution to the challenges of regional connectivity in Africa," said ATR’s Chief Executive Officer Stefano Bortoli. "Royal Air Maroc is selecting an aircraft that offers a 40% advantage in fuel burn, the lowest operating costs and a modern and comfortable cabin, therefore buying the best value in the market.”

"As we already are exploiting five ATRs, this  ATR 72-600 will be added to our fleet in a smooth way." said Abdelhamid Addou, Chairman and CEO of Royal Air Maroc. "The aircraft is operationally proven in Morocco and offers our passengers a comfortable cabin. It is a good aircraft to complement our single-aisle fleet, and it will enable us to adapt even better our domestic and regional market capacity, offering more flight options to our passengers.”

Royal Air Maroc was the launch customer for the ATR -600 series and took delivery of their first ATR 72-600 in 2011. In the following seven years, ATR has delivered in total over 500 ATR-600 series aircraft, becoming the market leader in the regional segment thanks to its unbeatable economics, the widest and most comfortable cabin, operational flexibility, and state-of-the-art avionics. In 2018 in the Africa region, ATR has delivered brand-new ATR 72-600s to Air Sénégal and Air Botswana. EWA Air and Royal Air Maroc will be the next customers to receive their new ATR-600s before the end of the year.

In terms of market outlook, Africa and the Middle East will require 350 turboprops in the next 20 years, to serve 300 new routes further developing regional aviation. Regional connectivity supports local economies, with a 10 percent increase in flights generating a 5% rise in tourism, an increase of 6 percent in local GDP and 8 percent more Foreign Direct Investment.

(Source: ATR news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.atr-aircraft.com