ATR 42 and ATR 72: the regional turboprops designed in Toulouse

A Franco-Italian partnership born in 1981

ATR, short for "Avions de transport régional" (regional transport aircraft), grew out of a partnership between two European manufacturers. According to the company, it was launched on 4 November 1981. It is now a joint venture between Airbus and Leonardo, and its headquarters are in Blagnac, on the edge of Toulouse.

The manufacturer describes itself as the world's number one in regional aviation, with turboprops seating up to 78 passengers. According to the figures it publishes, 1,900 aircraft have been sold worldwide and its aircraft are flown by more than 200 airlines in around 100 countries. The 1,500th ATR was delivered in November 2018.

Why a propeller aircraft?

On short routes, an aircraft spends much of its time climbing and descending, and cruising speed matters less than on a long journey. The turboprop, slower than a twinjet, burns less fuel at these distances. ATR thus claims fuel burn around 30% lower than similar-sized regional jets and highlights a figure of 69 grams per seat per kilometre.

On top of these savings comes the ability to operate from short runways and a robustness valued in demanding environments: islands, mountainous regions and poorly equipped airfields. This explains ATR's presence both in island networks and on routes that connect remote regions.

The ATR 42-600: the smaller model

The ATR 42-600 covers the 30-to-50-seat segment. According to the manufacturer, it is the only regional aircraft in production in this segment. Its main published characteristics are:

• maximum take-off weight: 18,600 kg;
• take-off distance (maximum weight, standard atmosphere, sea level): 1,107 m;
• landing distance: 966 m;
• range with maximum passengers: 1,345 km (726 nautical miles).

ATR presents it as a "route opener", able to test a new route without committing a larger aircraft, and as a replacement for smaller turboprops or older regional jets.

The ATR 72-600: the flagship

The stretched ATR 72-600 seats 44 to 78 passengers depending on the layout. Configurations cited by the manufacturer include 72 seats at a 29-inch pitch, 78 seats at a 28-inch pitch, or a mixed version with 44 seats and 1,400 kg of extra cargo. Its published characteristics are:

• maximum take-off weight: 23,000 kg;
• maximum payload: 7,400 kg;
• take-off distance: 1,315 m;
• range with maximum passengers: 740 nautical miles (1,370 km).

The manufacturer also offers a freighter version, the ATR 72-600F, with a maximum structural payload of 9.2 tonnes and a gross volume of 75 m³.

The choice between the two models depends first on expected traffic: the ATR 42 suits very thin routes or short runways, the ATR 72 busier regional services. Because the two aircraft share a broad common base, an airline can combine both sizes in its fleet to match capacity to each route.

A niche but strategic market

The regional turboprop market is smaller than the single-aisle jet market, and few competitors are currently in production. For airlines, the choice is driven first by cost per seat and cost per trip: on a route of less than an hour's flying, the speed difference with a jet matters little, whereas the gap in fuel burn shows up on every rotation.

In the debate on decarbonising air transport, regional aviation is often cited as a prime testing ground, because short distances and small aircraft lend themselves better to new propulsion technologies. ATR highlights the frugality of its current aircraft as an asset in this context, while working on developments to its engines and products.