ATR has gained EASA certification for its new ATR 72-600 following nearly two years of flight testing, the Franco-Italian manufacturer announced on May 31. A more powerful and capable version of the 72-500, the new 68-seat turboprop flew more than 150 hours during 75 test flights. The company plans to deliver the first production airplane to Royal Air Maroc early this summer, likely during a ceremony at the Paris Air Show.
Powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M turboprops, the airplane offers improved fuel consumption and maximum payload, as well as more power. Perhaps more significantly, however, it carries a new Thales glass avionics suite with five LCD screens, new communication, navigation, monitoring, flight management (FMS), autopilot and alert management systems and a new MPC computer system (including aircraft maintenance and protection functions).
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