Article from BTNews 3 DECEMBER 2018
ATR delivery milestone
In the latest celebration in a year of milestones, turboprop manufacturer ATR has marked its 1,500th aircraft delivery, an ATR 72-600 handed over to Japan Air Commuter.
The company this year has already seen the delivery of the 1,000th ATR 72 in July and the 500th ATR-600 Series in August. It is more than 30 years since ATR’s first delivery.
On the latest handover, CEO Stefano Bortoli said: “This is a momentous occasion for ATR and a moment of pride for all of our colleagues, past and present, who have contributed to the evolution and success of this fantastic aircraft.
“We look forward to continuing to take this programme further into the future, connecting more people worldwide as we further develop our contribution to and position in this market.”
Bortoli noted that since 2010, 75% of turboprop sales have been ATRs and the company currently has the largest market share of all regional aircraft. Nearly 500 50-seat ATR 42s and more than 1,000 72-seat ATR 72s have been delivered.
The company’s first aircraft programme, the ATR 42, was launched with a first delivery to French regional operator Air Littoral. ATR subsequently launched a larger version of the aircraft, the ATR 72, which was first delivered to Finnair.
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