ATR 72 – Made in India to Fill Regional Airliner Gap

As India has missed the chance to build on Dornier 228 to build its follow on variants. Plans are afoot to build the ATR 72 aircraft in India. ATR is open to making turboprop aircraft in India if it makes strong business sense, with officials stating it's "nothing off the table," as India's regional aviation market is booming and they already use Indian supply chains, seeing potential for hundreds more planes in the next decade. While currently assembling in France/Italy, ATR (a Airbus-Leonardo JV) is exploring component sourcing and assembly options to meet India's massive demand, viewing India as a key future market for its fuel-efficient, short-route planes. Currently, around 70 ATR aircraft are in service across India. As one of the fastest-growing civil aviation markets, India is seeing a rise in domestic air travel, with more Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities gaining access to air services. ATR thinks their is possibility of developing 300 new routes in India that could be served by ATR planes.

The company is keen on partnering with India for local component sourcing and possibly regional aircraft manufacturing. Though it currently lacks major Tier 1 suppliers from India, Vidal expressed interest in expanding collaborations over the next 25 years. Discussing new business prospects, ATR noted that the company is open to orders from both existing and new clients, with regional air routes typically covering distances within 400 nautical miles (750 kilometers). 90% of intra-city trips in India occur within this range, but only 3% are by air, highlighting significant growth potential for air transportation in the country.

The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR. The number "72" in its name is derived from the aircraft's typical standard seating capacity of 72 passengers. The ATR 72 has also been used as a corporate transport, cargo aircraft, and maritime patrol aircraft. To date, all of the ATR series have been completed at the company's final assembly line in Toulouse, France. ATR benefits from sharing resources and technology with Airbus SE, which has continued to hold a 50% interest in the company. Successive models of the ATR 72 have been developed. Typical updates have included new avionics, such as a glass cockpit, and the adoption of newer engine versions to deliver enhanced performance, such as increased efficiency and reliability and reductions in operating costs. The aircraft shares a high degree of commonality with the smaller ATR 42, which remains in production as of 2025.

ATR is short for Avions de transport régional in French or Aerei da Trasporto Regionale in Italian. A joint venture between French aerospace company Aérospatiale now part of Airbus, and Italian aviation conglomerate Aeritalia now Leonardo S.p.A.. During the 1980s, French aerospace company Aérospatiale and Italian aviation conglomerate Aeritalia merged their work on a new generation of regional aircraft. The jointly owned company, ATR, was established to develop, manufacture, and market their first airliner, ATR 42, which is still in production. During the mid-1980s, ATR sought to introduce a larger airliner with increased capacity over its predecessor. This new regional airliner, directly developed from ATR 42 and had much in common with it. Designated ATR 72; the principal difference between the two airliners was an increase in the maximum seating capacity from 48 to 78 passengers. This was principally achieved by stretching the fuselage by 4.5 m (15 ft), along with an increase of the wingspan, the use of more powerful engines, and increased fuel capacity by about 10%. The ATR is comparable with the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Series 400, British Aerospace ATP, EADS CASA C-295, Fokker 60, Ilyushin Il-114, and Xian MA700.

On 15 January 1986, ATR 72 programme was announced. On 27 October 1988, the prototype performed its maiden flight and, on 25 September 1989, the ATR 72 received airworthiness certification from the French Directorate General for Civil Aviation. On 27 October 1989, Finnish airline, Finnair, became the first to introduce the aircraft into service. Since the ATR 72 is assembled on the same production line as the smaller ATR 42, along with sharing the majority of subsystems, components, and manufacturing techniques, the two types support each other to remain in production. This factor may have been crucial as, by 2015, as the ATR 42 was the only 50-seat regional aircraft still being manufactured.

In 2000, the combined global ATR fleet reached its 10,000,000th flight, covering around 4 billion km (2.5 billion statute miles) and around 450 million passengers had flown on board ATR-built aircraft. The 2007 saw a total of 113 new ATR aircraft ordered during a single year. By the end of 2014, ATR had received 1,000 orders for the type and delivered 754, leaving a backlog of 246 aircraft. On 10 July 1998, ATR launched its new Asset Management Department. In June 2001, EADS and Alenia Aeronautica decided to reinforce their partnership, regrouping all industrial activities related to regional airliners into the ATR consortium. On 3 October 2003, ATR became one of the first aircraft manufacturers to be certified under ISO 9001-2000 and EN/AS/JISQ 9100. During July 2004, ATR and Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer announced a co-operation agreement on the AEROChain Portal to deliver improved customer service. 

Further Development

On 2 October 2007, ATR CEO Stéphane Mayer announced the launch of the -600 series aircraft; the ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600 featured various improvements to increase efficiency, dispatch reliability, lower fuel burn, and operating costs. While broadly similar to the earlier -500 model, differences include adopting improved PW127M engines, a new glass cockpit, and various other minor improvements. Since 2008, ATR has been a participant in the European Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative. On 8 July 2015, an ATR 72-600 'green' technology demonstrator performed its first flight; the demonstrator was used for testing new composite materials for insulation, air conditioning systems, electrical distribution systems, and energy dispersal modifications to evaluate their effect on the aircraft's overall efficiency as a contribution to the Clean Sky initiative. ATR's senior vice-president for engineering Alessandro Amendola indicated that the elimination of all uses of bleed air was a key aim in the designing of an all-electric architecture as well as improving engine efficiency; the minimizing of peak electrical loads was also a stated priority. During March 2016, a second round of flight trials dedicated the testing of all-electric systems architecture using the demonstrator was completed; analysis is set to continue.

As a consequence of strong demand for the -600 series, ATR decided to invest in the establishment of a second, more modern final assembly line and acquisition of more hangar space at its Toulouse site, along with a new large completion and delivery area; overall, the manufacturing operation expanded to four times the footprint that it had in 2005. Speaking in October 2015, ATR CEO Patrick de Castelbajac stated that the firm was set to produce in excess of 90 aircraft that year, and that the new manufacturing facilities could support a production rate of up to 120 per year. At the time, the company had a backlog of orders for 300 aircraft, sufficient for three years of production. During 2017, a new in-house financing and leasing division was established by ATR in order to offer customers a greater degree of support and expand the company's range of services.

In December 2015, the EASA approved a new high-density seating layout, raising the maximum capacity from 74 to 78 seats. During the 2021 Dubai Airshow in mid-November 2021, ATR debuted the new ATR 72-600 powered by new PW127XT powerplants with 20% lower maintenance cost and 3% lower fuel consumption than the predecessor PW127M powerplant.

Considerable emphasis has been placed upon the continuous development of ATR's aircraft models. Speaking at the Farnborough Airshow in July 2016, the CEO of ATR Patrick de Castelbajac stated that the company was currently examining the possibility of replacing the current Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127 engine with either a new offer from P&WC, or a GE38 derivative from GE Aviation. Although expressing satisfaction with the PW127 engine and its supplier, Castelbajac noted the design's age and the need to remain competitive with the latest regional jets. To be a worthwhile exercise, any re-engine exercise would require a 15 per cent improvement in fuel-burn and 20-25 per cent reduction of direct maintenance costs. 

Additionally, Castelbajac sees the potential re-engine as a "bridge" to the eventual development of a larger 100-seat aircraft.  During the mid-2010s, reports emerged that the development of a further stretched 90-seat ATR model was under consideration as well; allegedly, shareholder Airbus was relatively unenthusiastic on proceeding with such a development, while Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier favoured a focus on resolving manufacturing issues. However, in January 2018, ATR's parent company Leonardo announced that the 100-seat program has been formally brought to a close.

Design

ATR 72 is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100 turboprop engines, which drive an arrangement of four or six-bladed propellers supplied by Hamilton Standard. Earlier models of the ATR 72 are equipped with the older PW124B engine, while later-built aircraft are powered by the newer PW127 engine, rated at a maximum of 2,050 kW (2,750 shp). It can land and takeoff in high airports with short runways. In a standard configuration, the aircraft does not have an auxiliary power unit; when present it is installed within the C4 cargo section. Most operators of the ATR 72 equip their aircraft with a propeller brake that stops the propeller on the No. 2 (right) engine while allowing the turbine to continue running, to provide both airflow and electrical power to the aircraft while on the ground.

In the majority of configurations, passengers board the ATR 72 using the rear door, a relatively unusual configuration for a passenger aircraft, while the front door is typically used for the loading and unloading of cargo; early customer Finnair intentionally ordered its ATR 72s with a front passenger door so that it could utilize the jet bridges at Helsinki Airport, while operator Air New Zealand's standard rear door aircraft can use jet bridges at airports with this equipment. While passengers are boarding or disembarking, a tail stand is set into place as standard procedure to guard against the aircraft nose lifting off the ground.

Operational History

2011 was a record-breaking year for sales at ATR. According to ATR's CEO Filippo Bagnato, sales had continued to grow during the Great Recession despite the downturn experienced by most aviation companies as "fuel consumption that can be half that of the alternatives and [with] lower maintenance costs". Bagnato noted the strength of Africa as a market for the type, as well at the firm's aircraft being capable of serving destinations that would otherwise be inaccessible to other aircraft due to the austere conditions of many airstrips and runways in the region, as well as the ability to operate autonomously without any reliance upon ground support equipment.

For 2013, ATR claimed a 48% global market share for regional aircraft deliveries between 50 and 90 seats (comprising both turboprops and jets), making it the dominant manufacturer in this market segment. That same year, during which firm orders for 10 ATR 42-600s and 79 ATR 72-600s were recorded, leasing companies were responsible for 70 per cent of these; according to ATR's CEO Filippo Bagnato: "Years ago, we were not even considered by the lessors; now they see ATRs as a good investment". Several major leasing companies operate their own ATR fleets, such as Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), who placed an order for 20 ATR 72s along with options for another 20 in February 2014, and Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), who ordered a fleet of 30 ATR 72s during June 2013, along with options for up to 55 further airliners. Placing their first order during 2011, by December 2012, Singaporean leasor Avation had a combined total of 20 ATR 72s on order; by February 2016, the number on order for Avation had risen to 35 aircraft.

During May 1997, ATR achieved their first breakthrough sale in China, placed by operator China Xinjiang Airlines and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). By 2013, while the Asia Pacific region had comprised the majority of ATR's sales when geographically ranked; however, orders from Chinese airlines remained elusive; Bagnato ascribed this anomaly to local market conditions dictating the typical use of larger aircraft, as well as a Chinese government policy of imposing high tariffs on the import of foreign-built fixed-wing aircraft.  ATR believed that many of the already-flown routes did not suit larger 150-seat aircraft; however, of the roughly 2,600 commercial aircraft flying in China at that time, only 68 had a capacity of less than 90 seats and of these, fewer than 20 were powered by turboprop engines.

In response to airlines often wanting to replace their early production ATR models with the latest generation ATR series, as well as to answer demand from cargo operators for the type, ATR has operated two separate dedicated freighter conversion programmes, known as the Bulk Freighter (tube version) and the ULD Freighter. Both conversions involve complete stripping of furnishings along with the addition of floor strengthening, new window plugs and 9 g restraining nets, six additional longitudinal tracks for added flexibility, and an E-Class cabin; the ULD model can accommodate standard ULD-packaged cargo, such as LD3 containers or 2.2 by 2.7 metres (88 by 108 in) pallets, which were loaded via a large cargo door located on the port forward side. Undertaken by a range of companies, such as Alenia subsidiary Aeronavali, Texas-based M7 Aerospace; French firms Indraéro Siren and Aeroconseil, Canadian Infinion Certification Engineering, and Spanish company Arrodisa, by October 2012, in excess of one-fifth of all first-generation ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft had already been converted to freighters. 

ATR Variants

ATR 72-100

All early ATR 72-200/210 series have four-bladed propellers. Two sub-types were marketed as the 100 series (-100).

ATR 72–101

Initial production variant with front and rear passenger doors, powered by two PW124B engines and certified in September 1989.

ATR 72–102

Initial production variant with a front cargo door and a rear passenger door, powered by two PW124B engines and certified in December 1989.

ATR 72-200

Two sub-types were marketed as the 200 series (-200). The -200 was the original production version, powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW124B engines rated at 2,400 shp (1,800 kW).

ATR 72-201

Higher maximum take-off weight variant of the -101, a PW124B-powered variant certified in September 1989.

ATR 72-202

Higher maximum take-off weight variant of the -102, a PW124B-powered variant certified in December 1989.

ATR 72-210

Two sub-types were marketed as the 210 series (-210): the -211 (and with an enlarged cargo door, called the -212) is a -200 with PW127 engines producing 2,750 shp (2,050 kW) each for improved performance in hot and high-altitude conditions. The sub-types differ in the type of doors and emergency exits

ATR 72-211

PW127-powered variant certified in December 1992.

ATR 72-212

PW127-powered variant certified in December 1992.

ATR 72-212A

Certified in January 1997 and fitted with either PW127F or PW127M engines, the -212A is an upgraded version of the -210 using six-bladed propellers on otherwise identical PW127F engines. Other improvements include higher maximum weights and superior performance, as well as greater automation of power management to ease pilot workload.

ATR 72-500

Initial marketing name for the ATR 72-212A.

ATR 72-600

Marketing name for ATR 72-212A with different equipment fit. The -600 series aircraft was announced in October 2007; the first deliveries were planned for the second half of 2010. The prototype ATR 72-600 first flew on 24 July 2009; it had been converted from an ATR 72-500. The ATR 72-600 features several improvements. It is powered by the new PW127M engines, which enable a 5% increase in takeoff power via a "boost function" used only when called for by takeoff conditions. The flight deck features five wide LCD screens (improving on the EFIS of earlier versions).

A multi-purpose computer (MPC) aims at increasing flight safety and operational capabilities, and new Thales-made avionics provide Required Navigation Performance (RNP) capabilities. It also features lighter seats and larger overhead baggage bins. In December 2015, the EASA approved a new high-density seating layout, raising the maximum capacity from 74 to 78 seats. During the 2021 Dubai Airshow in mid-November 2021, ATR debuted the new ATR 72-600 engine which is powered by new PW127XT powerplants with 20% lower maintenance cost and 3% lower fuel consumption than the predecessor PW127M powerplant.

ATR 72-600 HighLine Editions

The ATR 72-600 HighLine is the same as the ATR 72-600 however it featured an executive cabin layout.

ATR 72MP

The ATR 72MP is an ATR 72-600 derivative developed by Leonardo for search and rescue, maritime patrol, command and control, communication, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR). Leonardo Electronics designed its Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance (ATOS) backbone to manage its sensors, combine their output in a tactical situation presented on up to four workstations. The main sensors are

• a multimode radar, also with AESA radar like the Leonardo Electronics Seaspray 7300;
• an electro-optical turret (EO/IR);
• an automatic identification system (AIS);
• an airborne search and rescue direction finder (ASARS DF).

A tactical display is added to the glass cockpit and can be integrated with INS/GPS positioning systems and IFF transponder. Three U/VHF radios, one HF radio and a wideband SATCOM are used for communications. Other sensors, systems and communications equipment can be integrated, like an Electronic Support Measure (ESM) system. A defensive aids sub-system (DASS) is optionally available for operation in hostile areas.

ATR 72 ASW

The ATR 72 ASW integrates the ATR 72 MP (Maritime Patrol) mission system with similar on-board equipment, but with additional Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities. A variant of the -600 (itself a version of the maritime patrol model of the ATR 42-600) is also in production. For the ASW and ASuW missions, it is armed with lightweight aerial torpedoes. They are equipped with the Thales AMASCOS (Airborne Maritime Situation and Control System) surveillance system as well as electronic warfare and reconnaissance systems, enabling the type to perform maritime search and rescue duties.

ATR 72-600 MAR

The ATR 72-600 MAR is an unarmed maritime surveillance version equipped with ELI-3360MPA system designed by Elbit Systems for the Philippine Air Force. Its capabilities are airborne ocean surface surveillance, telemetry recording and relay. Modified with AN/APS-143 Multi-Mode X-Band Maritime Surveillance Radar with Integrated IFF Interrogator to detect objects in the South China Sea and Benham Rise, the aircraft can detect a person in a life raft up to 128 km away in the water. It downlinks this telemetry data to a ground-based surveillance center which is to be integrated to the National Coast Watch Center system. It has the capability to relay four airborne UHF frequencies over the horizon to ground sites. Additional Mission Management System (MMS), L-3 Wescam MX-20HD electro-optical sensor system for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) capabilities.

ATR 600F

A purpose-built freighter variant of the -600, 8 November 2017 launch with 30 firm orders from FedEx plus 20 options. The first flight of the variant took place on 16 September 2020. it was EASA certified by early December. In December 2020, FedEx Express received the first one of its order of 30, to be operated by ASL Airlines Ireland between Paris Charles de Gaulle and the Czech Republic. FedEx should receive six aircraft per year until 2025, later freighters will fly in the US and in Latin America. Compared to the passenger airliner, windows are removed, the floor is reinforced and a large front cargo door is added to load seven LD3 containers. ATR forecasts a market for 460 converted or new-build turboprop freighters over 20 years.

Other Versions

Cargo

Freighter (tube versions) and ULD Freighter (Large Cargo Door). ATR unveiled a large cargo door modification for all ATR 72 at Farnborough 2002, coupled with a dedicated cargo conversion. FedEx, DHL, and UPS all operate the type. The purpose-built ATR 72-600F had first flight on 16 September 2020

Corporate

A VIP version of the -500 is available with a luxury interior for executive or corporate transport.

ATR 82

During the mid-1980s, the company investigated a 78-seat derivative of the ATR 72. This would have been powered by two Allison AE2100 turboprops (turbofans were also studied for a time) and would have had a cruising speed as high as 330 knots (610 km/h; 380 mph). The ATR-82 project (as it was dubbed) was suspended when AI(R) was formed in early 1996.

ATR 82 TF

ATR also studied a turbofan version of the proposed ATR 82 (stretched version of the ATR 72) in the early 1990s. Powered by either the Allison GMA 3012 or the General Electric CF34, the aircraft would have a range of about 1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) and cruise at 375 kn (694 km/h; 432 mph) at an altitude of 25,000 ft (7,600 m).

ATR Quick Change

This proposed version targeted the increasing demand of worldwide cargo and express mail markets, where the aim is to allow operators to supplement their passengers flights with freighter flights. In Quick Change configuration, the smoke detector is equipped alongside other modifications required in order to meet the certification for full freight operations. The aircraft was equipped with a larger cargo door (1.27 m [50 in] wide and 1.52 m [60 in] high) and low door-sill height of an average 1.2 m (4 ft), facilitating containerised freight loading. It takes 30 minutes to convert the ATR 42, and 45 minutes to convert the ATR 72. Each optimized container has 2.8 m³ (99 cu ft) of usable volume and maximum payload is 435 kg (960 lb).