Aircraft
Paris 2011: ATR 72-600 Debuts at Paris Air Show with EASA Certification in Hand
Here at the Paris Air Show, ATR is showcasing its newly certified ATR 72

Here at the Paris Air Show, ATR is showcasing its newly certified ATR 72-600 in the livery of Royal Air Maroc. Meanwhile, the European airframer’s final assembly line in Toulouse is to ramp up production of the 70-seater by 40 percent–in part driven by expectations of significant new orders to be placed at Le Bourget this week. Plans for a 90-seater could be firmed up next year.

The ATR 72-600 received its European Aviation Safety Agency certification in late May. U.S. FAA approval is expected soon, thanks to the joint certification process the two agencies follow, ATR CEO Filippo Bagnato said last week in Paris. The six-month delay in getting the aircraft’s certification, which was planned for 2010 at the program’s launch in 2007, is not due to any specific issue, according to Jacques Desbarats, commercial senior vice president.