Regional turboprop manufacturer Avions de Transport Regional intends to deliver 50 aircraft this year, a number that is only slightly below that produced in 2008. At a press conference here yesterday, CEO Stéphane Mayer also said the company has received 28 firm orders but has suffered nine cancellations since the beginning of this year.
“Our target is to have steady deliveries in 2009,” Mayer stated. Eighteen ATRs have been handed over so far this year. The revenue target is $1.4 billion, he said.
In terms of orders, customers for 14 aircraft have been named: Royal Air Maroc, Afrijet Airlines and the Italian Navy. The other half of this year’s orders are for undisclosed customers. Breaking down the orders by aircraft model, there are two ATR 42-500s, two ATR 42-600s, six ATR 72-500s and 18 ATR 72-600s.
All this results in a backlog of 170 aircraft–“three years of production,” Mayer asserted. This is slightly below last year’s count of 181 as of June 30. The new -600 variants alone account for 59 of these 170 aircraft. For the 2009-2028 period, ATR is forecasting a market of 2,700 turboprops worth $28 billion.
The ATR 72-600 is to make its first flight “this summer.” Certification is pegged for 2010. Deliveries are then slated to begin in 2011.
The ATR 42-600 is to go “power-on” (switching on onboard electric systems) in December. Given the usual timetable for such developments, this should translate into the first flight slipping into 2010.
The -600 series feature Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M for better hot-and-high capabilities. These include improved runway performance and increased payload. Thales is modernizing the flight deck with five six- by eight-inch LCD displays.
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