ATR, the turboprop aircraft manufacturer, has delivered its 1,000th aircraft.
The landmark aircraft – an ATR72-600 for Spain’s Air Nostrum – was delivered more than 26 years after ATR’s first aircraft, which was received by France’s Air Littoral on 3 December 1985. Almost a third of the 1,000 deliveries however, have taken place since 1985.
2011 was a record year for the Franco-Italian planemaker, with 157 firm sales – more than 80% of the total international market for regional aircraft with 90 or fewer seats.
“The trend in regional aviation shows an increasingly pronounced predominance of turboprop technology in the 90-seat or less aircraft segment,” said Filippo Bagnato, ATR’s CEO. “Turboprops and ATR planes in particular, are also the best suited aircraft to meet the increasing environmental requirements of airlines and passengers.”
Of the 1,000 aircraft deliveries, 226 were to carriers in Asia Pacific, making the region the second biggest market for ATR, behind Europe.
