LONDON – ATR Aircraft has announced plans for the next generation of regional aircraft by 2030 announced under the working name ATR “EVO”.
ATR’s new plan includes advanced design features and a new hybrid engine. All this is to offer customers the next generation of ATR aircraft.
These will include innovative technologies that will significantly improve performance, economy, and sustainability.
With a new green design that includes new propeller blades and an improved cabin and onboard systems, the aircraft will remain a twin-engine turboprop that can run on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
“Our next generation of aircraft will be a step forward in responsible flying with further incremental innovations”, said Stefano Bortoli, ATR’s CEO.
“Once on the market, the new ATR ‘EVO’ will pave the way toward a decarbonized aviation future. Key benefits include a 20 percent improvement in fuel consumption and 100 percent SAF compatibility.”
“This means the aircraft will emit more than 50 percent less CO2 than a Kerosene-powered regional jet. Using 100 percent SAF, its emissions will be close to zero”.
“The ATR ‘EVO’ will be even more economical, with double-digit operating cost savings, achieved in particular through a 20 percent lower fuel burn and a 20 percent reduction in overall maintenance costs”, said Fabrice Vautier, senior vice president at ATR.
“This means the airline can operate less traveled routes more cost-effectively, and local communities can benefit from better connections, more essential services, and greater economic development.”
“Our goal is to continue to offer an increasingly inclusive and responsible air transport experience to customers and the public”.
As Stéphane Viala, ATR’s vice president of engineering points out, the company has issued a request for information to major engine manufacturers to develop a new power unit that will combine existing and future generation engine technology.
The ATR ‘EVO’ will feature improved climb time performance and an improved cabin with lighter bio-based materials. Recyclability will also be at the heart of our new design.
ATR will be working intensively with airlines, engine manufacturers, and system suppliers in the coming months, with the goal of launching the program by 2023.
Regional aircraft over 37 years…
The delivery of the first ATR serial aircraft took place almost 37 years ago, on December 3, 1985. At that time the first ATR 42 version was delivered to the French airline Air Littoral.
The first delivery of an ATR 72 took place around 33 years ago, on 27 October 1989. That was when the first ATR 72-200 was delivered to Finnair.
For more than 37 years, the continued popularity of the ATR 72 model among operators testifies to the quality of these aircraft and the many innovations they have undergone over three decades.
Its operational versatility, environmental efficiency, and unparalleled profitability have enabled it, along with the ATR 42, to open an average of 100 new routes per year to date, with a record of more than 150 opened by ATRs in 2017.
The largest number of ATRs fly in Asia, at 29 percent of the global fleet. This is followed by Europe (26 percent), North America (15 percent), South America (12 percent), and Africa with the Middle East (9 percent).
It is also worth mentioning that ATR is celebrated on November 4, 2021. It’s the 40th anniversary. In late 2021, the manufacturer announced its new Pratt & Whitney PW127XT engines and delivered its 1600th aircraft.
