LONDON – Aircraft manufacturer ATR has successfully delivered the first ATR 72-600 turboprop powered by the new PW127XT engines to Air Corsica, who are the launch customer for the re-engined ATR 72.
The delivery
Following the order made a year ago at the Dubai Airwshow consisting of five new ATR 72-600’s, Air Corsica has now taken delivery of the first PW127XT powered ATR 72-600 aircraft.
The delivery marks an important step in the fleet upgrade Air Corsica is undergoing, as well as being an important step from a sustainable development perspective.
The move will ensure the airline will continue to fulfil its public service mission with the most economical, reliable and responsible aircraft on the market.
The new ATR aircraft will ensure passengers benefit from high cabin comfort along with other innovations such as USB outlets to charge personal devices. However, not only the passengers will benefit, as Air Corsica are also set to save on these new ATR aircraft.
The new turboprop PW127XT engines, will ensure affordable and sustainable regional mobility, as well as offering a 20% decrease in maintenance costs and a 3% improvement in fuel consumption, compared to the previous PW127Ms.
This represents 45% less fuel burn and CO2 emissions compared to other regional jets of similar size.
Statements
On the delivery, Marie-Hélène Casanova-Servas, President of Air Corsica’s Supervisory Board, stated: “ATRs are central to our model of air travel in Corsica.”
“They have proven to be the right product for our short-haul operations, enabling us to limit our impact on the island’s pristine environment and to meet our passengers’ demand for quick, frequent, reliable, and yet lower emission, air travel.”
“Selecting both the latest generation turboprop, the newest engine on the market to equip it, and the best maintenance programme to optimise its reliability, makes perfect business sense, and moreover, is the most responsible choice.”
ATR Chief Executive Officer Nathalie Tarnaud Laude also commented, saying: “Air Corsica and ATR have grown together ever since their first ATR flight in 1990. Over decades they have shown commitment to flying the latest technology and most responsible aircraft available.”
“As our product evolves to meet new market needs and incorporates further innovations, it remains the most reliable, efficient, cost-effective aircraft on the market, as well as the most sustainable platform to operate regional routes. This makes ATR and Air Corsica a perfect match.”
Engine certification
Back in October, AviationSource reported that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified ATR’s PW127XT engine, which were meant to power the ATR 72 and 42 series aircraft.
This particular engine, built by Pratt & Whitney, was first revealed at the Dubai Airshow last year and was due to enter service with Air Corsica until now.
The certification was commented by Stephane Viala, ATR’s Senior VP of Engineering, who said: “Receiving EASA type certification is an important step towards entry into service of this new standard engine on our ATR aircraft”.
“ATR teams have been working with our partners at Pratt & Whitney Canada and the authorities to secure certification and move closer to providing customers with even more economical and sustainable powered regional turboprop aircraft.”
“With maintenance cost benefits, CO2 savings, and SAF capability, it will help airlines such as Air Corsica, our launch customer, fulfill its industry pledges towards low-emission aviation.”
Also commenting on this milestone was Anthony Rossi, the VP of Sales & Marketing at Pratt & Whitney:
“The certification of ATR aircraft powered by our PW127XT-M engine is good news for the Regional Aviation segment as it delivers 40% more time on the wing, 20% fewer maintenance costs, and a 3% improvement in fuel consumption compared to the PW127-M”.
“ATR and P&WC have worked diligently to achieve this certification less than a year after the game-changing engine was unveiled. We congratulate ATR on this important milestone”.
