ATR aims to have fleet of 25+ ATR 72-600 in Korea
ATR shares forecast at Koreaās inaugural GADLEX Aviation Show
Gumi, 6 September 2023 ā Worldās leading regional aircraft manufacturer ATR plans to further contribute to Koreaās domestic and short-haul international air transportation market, with the aim of having an in-country fleet of 25-30 highly-efficient ATR 72 aircraft within the next seven years.
ATR provided its forecast during a media briefing on the first day of the inaugural Gyeongbuk Aerospace, Defence and Logistics Exhibition (GADLEX) being held in Gumi city (6-8 September) in the eastern province of Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Jean-Pierre Clercin, ATRās Head of Commercial for Asia Pacific says: āWe are thrilled to see the Gyeongsangbuk-do provincial government promoting domestic regional aviation by hosting the GADLEX aviation show. Korea has many under-utilised domestic airports, and scheduled domestic flights are mainly north-south. ATR sees opportunity to develop east-west routes, linking communities living along the east coast to places in Koreaās western part, and the ATR is the ideal platform to create these links, in terms of considering the passenger volume, the geography and the distance. Besides, our 78-seat ATR 72 aircraft can take-off and land from a 1,200m runway in dry and wet conditions as per Korean rules, such as the one being developed on Ulleungdo Island. Our aircraft can therefore contribute to offer more responsible, affordable and convenient travel options, remaining profitable while serving the smallest communities, which also makes it an inclusive & resilient proposition.ā
Burning 45% less fuel and emitting 45% less CO2 than a comparable size jet aircraft, ATR 72-600 turboprops also have an external noise footprint that is three times lower, making them the best-in-class regional aircraft.
āWe have seen operators try and fail to operate regional jets on domestic routes, and particularly on short distances, because these jets have higher operating costs, due mainly to higher fuel burn and maintenance costs,ā says Clercin. āThere are instances where regional jets operators have later replaced their aircraft with ATR 72s, because our aircraft have unbeatable economics on routes less than 300NM due to the 45% lower fuel burn. Fuel accounts for 40% of an airlineās total cost base, so reducing fuel burn has a hugely positive impact on the airlineās profitability. This contributes to making airlines more resilient in an ever more volatile market environmentā states Clercin.
ATR also sees opportunities for its aircraft to open new short-haul passenger routes linking Korea to Northeast China and Southern Japan, as well as dedicated freighter services to these markets.
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About ATR
ATR is the world number one regional aircraft manufacturer with its ATR 42 and 72, the best-selling aircraft in the below 90-seat market segment. The unifying vision of the company is to accelerate sustainable connections for people, communities and businesses, no matter how remote. Flown by some 200 airlines in over 100 countries, ATR aircraft opened 160 new routes in 2023, facilitating the development of territories and enabling access to crucial services like healthcare and education. Thanks to ATRās focus on continuous innovation and the intrinsic efficiency of the turboprop technology, ATR aircraft are the most advanced, versatile, cost-effective and lowest-emission regional aircraft on the market, emitting 45% less CO2 than similar-size regional jets. In January 2022, we flew the first ever commercial aircraft using 100% SAF in both engines. ATR is a joint-venture between Airbus and Leonardo.