TOULOUSE, FRANCE — The Franco-Italian regional aircraft manufacturer ATR delivered the first ATR 72-600 to the French carrier Air Corsica. The aircraft is powered by Pratt&Whittney's PW127XT engine. Air Corsica placed a firm order for five new ATR 72-600s a year ago during the Dubai Airshow as part of the airline's fleet renewal plan.

PW127XT-M is a new turboprop engine developed by P&W Canada. It was certified by Transport Canada last year in August. Air Corsica's new ATR 72-600 is the first turboprop delivered with the PW127XT-M engine.

The engine was developed and optimized to power the ATR fleet of turboprops and will be used on new builds of ATR42 and ATR72 aircraft. The new engine will supersede the PW127M and significantly improve operating costs, reliability, and maintenance costs. For the technically minded, the 127XT-M will generate thermodynamic power of 3,360 SHP, mechanical power of 2,750 SHP, and 1,200 propellor RPM.

The new PW127XT engine offers a 20% reduction in maintenance costs and a 3% improvement in fuel consumption compared to the PW127M, which means 45% less fuel burn and CO2 emissions compared to similar-size regional jets.

Increasing fuel prices, growing carbon taxation, as well as greater passenger demand for lower-emission travel all mean that the aviation industry is naturally favoring low-carbon emitting aircraft. Studies show that if turboprops replaced all regional jets in Europe, the reduction of CO2 emissions would be equivalent to the amount of CO2 removed by a forest of around 5000 km2, approximately the surface covered by forests in Corsica.