ATR presents the -600 series

ATR launched the -600 series in October 2007, with service entry of the 70-seat class ATR 72‑600 expected in early 2011, with the 50-seat class ATR 42-600 following later that year.

“It may not look like it, but it is a major modification to the aircraft,” Negre said.

Features of the updated development of the popular ATR turboprop line include more powerful P&W PW127M engines, an increased maximum takeoff weight, and a new Thales avionics suite including five large LCDs.

The prototype -600 series in fact made its maiden flight on July 24 and had flown 15 hours by the time of its official reveal. That aircraft is an upgraded ATR 72 prototype aircraft, while construction of new build ATR 42-600 preproduction aircraft will begin in December, and it should fly by February-March next year.

For the flight test and certification program the ATR 72‑600 is expected to fly approximately 150 flight hours, the 42-600 about 75 hours, given its commonality to the 72-600.

“It seems to be going according to plan,” said Negre. “So far so good. ” ATR will be hoping that with the -600 series it can break into the Australian market in a significant way. The Franco- Italian turboprop manufacturer has had mixed fortunes in Australia, with TAA owned Air Queensland briefly operating four ATR 42s in the mid 1980s, and then MacAir flying a single used ATR 42-500 until its collapse in February, leaving the only ATRs currently on the Australian register the two freighters flying for Toll.

To that end, Guillaume Huertas presented figures to the RAAA Convention on the Sunshine Coast in early October that showed that on a per seat basis a new ATR 42-600 will have slightly lower operating costs per seat compared to a second hand Saab 340 or Embraer EMB‑120, even accounting for financing/acquisition costs.

But ATR faces a challenge in selling new aircraft to Australian regional airline operators which have predominantly favoured much cheaper used machines due to the economic precariousness of the industry.

“For the moment the Australian market, probably by nature and maybe by culture, has always been one of short term thinking. So short term opportunities mean used aircraft,” Negre noted, “because that’s where the activity is (such as short term mining FIFO contracts) and also because they’re less expensive so you can amortise a used aircraft over a relatively short period of time. ” “Personally I think in the next 18 months to two years there are a few operators that will think longer term, and I’d like to think thanks to the ATR family with the -42 and -72 that we will be in a good position to respond to these requirements. ” ATR’s -600 series order backlog currently stands at 59. Total ATR sales of all models stand at just under the 1000 mark.