Asia Pacific is ATR’s largest market accounting for more than 40% of aircraft deliveries. After the recent announcement regarding Maldivian’s order for two ATR 72-600 and one ATR 42-600, the manufacturer has signed a new deal with Alliance Air via lessor TrueNoord for two ATR 42-600 aircraft, which will support the airline’s mission of serving challenging airfields in the Himalayas.
The ATR family’s unique capabilities to serve short runways, at high altitudes and high temperatures make it the ideal aircraft to reinforce connectivity, especially in rural areas where infrastructure is limited.
“Over the years, ATR aircraft have proven very popular with operators in the Asia Pacific thanks to the combination of comfort, reliability, unparalleled cost per trip and per seat, and sustainability. The combination of these parameters is unique to ATR in our market segment, which means airlines can serve thin routes more profitably and more responsibly. Through our recent announcements and the exchanges we have had during the show, we have witnessed concrete signs of recovery from the market and are confident that the Asia Pacific will remain a strategic region for us long into the future,” Fabrice Vautier, SVP Commercial of ATR, said.
Continuous incremental developments are the cornerstone of ATR’s strategy now and in the future. In the coming months, all new ATR 42 and 72 aircraft will be equipped with the new PW127XT engine, which will reduce fuel burn and engine maintenance costs even further – respectively by 3% and 20%.
The manufacturer is also working towards the certification of its aircraft to operate on 100% SAF by 2025.
“Driving costs down for airlines – whether through fuel savings or maintenance costs reduction initiatives – contributes to making air transport more inclusive and more sustainable. It gives our operators the opportunity either to make tickets more affordable for their passengers or to reinvest the associated savings to capture new markets. In both cases, it means more connectivity for their communities, and tomorrow we will be able to connect even smaller markets thanks to this. 40% of ATR operators are already serving mainly essential services, and 60% of them are serving point-to-point, and we expect these percentages to grow in 2022,” ATR CEO Stefano Bortoli added.
The Franco-Italian turboprop manufacturer also sees great potential for the ATR 42-600S, the short take-off and landing version of the model, in the Asia Pacific. This is due to the need for replacement of the region’s aging fleet of 30-seat turboprops and to the ATR 42-600S’ ability to operate from the region’s many airports with runways comprised between 800m and 1,000m.
ATR aims to certify the ATR 42-600S in time for first delivery by the end of 2024.
