The ATR aircraft company delivered 31 aircraft and received 35 orders in 2021. The joint venture between Airbus e Leonardo – active in the production of aircraft for regional transport – sees a clear trend of growth in 2021, with very positive signals, albeit of a slow but sure recovery of the market. This was announced by the CEO of the aeronautical group Stefano Bortoli on the occasion of the annual press conference.
“Our team has taken a big leap towards sustainable regional aviation by offering an improved engine and charting a path to flying on 100% sustainable aviation fuel All of which help make services more accessible and cheaper planes,” added Bortoli.
Among the goals achieved last year, the airline highlights: the delivery of 31 new aircraft on 5 continents and 10 second-hand aircraft; the signing of 35 orders (including letters of intent); the introduction of the new Pratt & Whitney 127XT engine, which reduces fuel consumption by 3%, guarantees savings on maintenance costs of 20% compared to current engines and which will become standard on the ATR 72 and 42; the announcement of Air Corsica as the launch customer of the new PW127XT; the delivery of the 1.600th aircraft and the signing of the 1.800th order; the launch of the industrialization phase of the "short take-off and landing" version; the signing of a letter of intent with Braathens Regional Airlines and Neste to accelerate the certification process of the ATR aircraft with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), the fuel for sustainable aviation and, finally, the opening of the Customer Experience Studio, fully digitized and connected, the first in the regional aerospace sector.
The top management of the Italian-French group also expressed optimism about the company's medium and long-term prospects. The pandemic has accelerated some trends such as that ofE-commerce and the shift towards working from home, this leads to increased demand for trips from smaller airports and new opportunities for regional carriers.
Therefore, the freight transport market is growing strongly and ATR forecasts a demand for around 460 cargo aircraft in the next 20 years for the category up to 9 tons. Another potential market share is that of the conversion of passenger to cargo aircraft: most of the 10 second-hand aircraft delivered by ATR in 2021 have been converted for cargo operations.
Further opportunities are also foreseen regarding the replacement market – with a potential of 1.200 turboprop aircraft in the 30 to 70 seat categories – and further connecting growing markets such as Japan, South Asia and Africa, which need to increase regional and cross-border connections.
These opportunities go hand in hand with the further decrease in theecological footprint of aviation. ATR will introduce the new and more efficient PW127XT engine to the market in 2022. The Toulouse-based manufacturer will carry out a flight test in the spring with Braathens Regional Airlines and Neste, with the aim of completing the certification of its aircraft with 100% of SAF within three years.
