The ATR 72-600 Is Flying In The Colours Of Japan Air Commuter

Turboprop manufacturer ATR has delivered its 1,500th aircraft. An ATR 72-600 was delivered to Japan Air Commuter at the end of October. This represents the latest in a year of milestones for the market-leading regional aircraft manufacturer, after the delivery of the 1,000th ATR 72 in July and the 500th ATR -600 Series in August. Since its first delivery, over 30 years ago, ATR has become the leader in regional aviation.

ATR Chief Executive Officer, Stefano Bortoli, celebrated the achievement: “This is a momentous occasion for ATR and a moment of pride for all of our colleagues, past and present, who have contributed to the evolution and success of this fantastic aircraft. We thank all of our suppliers, clients and operators for accompanying us on this journey and we look forward to continuing to take this wonderful program further into the future, connecting more people all over the world. ATR is the benchmark in regional aviation and we have the ambition to further develop our contribution to and position in this market.”

Since 2010, 75% of turboprop sales have been ATRs and the company currently has the largest market share of all regional aircraft. Nearly 500 50-seat ATR 42s and over 1,000 72-seat ATR 72s have been delivered to more than 200 operators in 100 countries. The company’s first aircraft programme, the ATR 42, was launched with the first delivery to French regional operator Air Littoral. ATR subsequently launched a larger version of the aircraft, the ATR 72, which was first delivered to Finnair. Since their respective launches, the ATR 42 and 72 have evolved with important improvements. The latest and most modern version of the aircraft, the -600 series, was launched in 2009, with the first delivery to Royal Air Maroc in 2011.

ATR’s prolonged success is a consequence of this policy of continuously developing its product and striving to go further with its customer service offer. The aircraft provides operators with unbeatable economics, operational flexibility, and state-of-the-art avionics, while passengers can enjoy the widest and most comfortable cabin in regional aviation. ATR’s recent innovations such as its Standard 3 avionics, ClearVision, and Cabinstream ensure that its products continue to be the most advanced regional aircraft in the market. In addition to developing its products, ATR continues to concurrently strengthen its customer support, innovating new methods to lower Direct Maintenance Costs whilst increasing its Training footprint and offering a Customer Care Center that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And looking forward, ATR is also exploring the opportunities and impact of new propulsion technologies in the regional aircraft ecosystem.  

Regional aviation provides vital connectivity and delivers significant economic advantages to communities worldwide. ATR’s market forecast predicts the need for over 3,000 turboprops in the next 20 years, in part to cater for nearly 3,000 new routes. A 10% increase in regional flights contributes an additional 5% of tourists, increases regional GDP by 6% and Foreign Direct Investment by 8%. This in turn leads to further social-economic development and more employment.

(Image provided with ATR news release)

FMI: www.air-aircraft.com