ATR is a leading aircraft manufacturer when it comes to regional aircraft. The Toulouse-based company is the number 1 regional aircraft manufacturer in the world. Little is known about this manufacturer compared to others in the industry such as Airbus and Boeing. Today, I look at ATR and how they came about as well as some of the aircraft they have produced.
ATR was founded in 1981 as a joint venture between European aeronautical giants Airbus and Leonardo. On 4th November 1981, ATR's founding partners 'Aerospatiale of France' and 'Aeritalia' signed an agreement which sealed their shared ambition to produce an aircraft designed for regional connectivity.
ATR's best-known planes are its ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600. The ATR 42-600 can seat between 30 and 50 passengers, can operate on runways as short as 1050 meters and burns 30% less fuel than a comparable 50-seat regional jet. The ATR 72-600 is larger and can seat between 44 and 78 passengers. ATR also produces an ATR 42-600 STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) version and an ATR 72-600 freighter. In 2017, FedEx ordered 30 ATR 72-600 freighters with options for 20 more.
Like many in the aviation industry, ATR has sustainability targets. ATR wants to fly their planes on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by 2025 and they are aiming for net zero carbon emissions by 2050. ATR claims that up to 85% of aircraft parts are recycled and reused. They state that they recycle and reuse between 8 and 9 tonnes of the aircraft including seats and landing gear. ATR has recycled 5 aircraft since 2018.
Since 1981, ATR has built and delivered aircraft to over 200 airlines in 100 countries.
While ATR may not be as well known in an aviation industry dominated mainly by Airbus and Boeing, ATR regional aircraft are very important to remote communities around the world.
I hope this blog post has given you an overview of ATR and some of the aircraft they produce.
Have you ever flown on an ATR aircraft? Let us know by leaving a comment below or on our forum.
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