These commitments include 17 orders for the new ATR 42-600S – a Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) variant of the 50 seat ATR 42, offering optimised capabilities to take-off from and land on runways as short as 800 meters.
ATR has announced three launch customers for this new version, including Air Tahiti, Elix Aviation and one undisclosed customer. The company – a joint partnership between Airbus and Leonardo – is currently finalising the process for the official launch of this new 42-600 variant and received authorisation to take in orders for the aircraft, subject to the final confirmation for launch from the company’s Board of Directors, expected before year end.
Stefano Bortoli, chief executive officer of ATR commented: “This is a remarkable proof of confidence for ATR, and excellent news for the communities who will benefit from improved connectivity. It shows how the purpose of ATR to connect communities in a sustainable manner is delivering value to our customers. No matter the profile or operating environment of our customers, our aircraft prove their superiority for regional operations, thanks to unbeatable economics, environmental performance and versatility. With continuous product improvement such as our freighter 72-600F and the new 42-600 STOL version, we aim to keep ATR at the forefront of regional aviation.”
ATR says these latest commercial results are further proof of the efficiency of turboprop technology, which ensures the enduring appeal of ATR aircraft, which are claimed to have the best environmental credentials on the regional market.
The aircraft builder says its longer ATR 72-600, which can seat up to 78 passengers, has strong environmental benefits compared to regional jets, in that it emits 40% less CO₂, enabling savings of 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ per aircraft per year.