ATR actualités

European Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co. (EAD) and Finmeccanica SpA (FNC), the owners of Avions de Transport Regional, are encouraging the turboprop planemaker to work on plans for a larger model to capture demand for aircraft that guzzle less fuel than jets.

ATR’s 42- and 72-seat turboprops have been in service since the mid 1980s and ATR’s only remaining competitor in that market is Bombardier’s Q-Series capable of carrying 74 passengers. Both Bombardier and ATR have been eyeing a 90-seat version as rising oil prices drive demand for more fuel-efficient turboprops.

After rapid sales in the late 1980s and early 1990s, orders for turbopropeller planes petered as airlines chose faster-and quieter jets. Demand is now surging as higher fuel costs make turboprops much cheaper to operate on short routes.

“We want to encourage ATR to work on plans for developing its future,” EADS Chief Executive Officer Louis Gallois said today at a ceremony to mark the 1,000th delivery of an ATR plane. “Shareholders will take a decision based on priorities of financial and technical resources, and will consider a partnership.”

Air Nostrum, a franchise partner of Iberia, received today’s landmark delivery.

Saab and BAE Systems Plc (BA/)’s predecessor British Aerospace exited the turboprop market. Jet fuel, which is derived from crude oil, today comprises on average between 30 and 40 percent of airlines’ operating costs. A decade ago, jet fuel represented only between 10 percent and 12 percent.

Engine Talks
ATR has fared far better than Bombardier since the resurgence of demand, partly because the Q Series is better adapted for longer routes. ATR’s backlog at the end of last year was 224 aircraft worth $5 billion, boosted by a record order tally in 2011 when the manufacturer won orders for 157 planes, with another 79 options, which ATR CEO Filippo Bagnato today said was an 80 percent market share.

Bagnato, in an interview, said he is currently talking with General Electric Co. (GE) (GE) and Pratt & Whitney about developing an engine for a larger turboprop. A future plane may be somewhat larger than 90 seats, he added, without being specific.

Giuseppe Orsi, CEO of Finmeccanica, also said he would encourage ATR to move forward.

“Turboprops are no longer considered a niche market; the regional turboprop is expanding and in this aeronautical business, nobody can rest,” Orsi said. “We are listening to customers and closely examining the business case for a new project. We’ll take a decision at the right time.

Bombardier, as of Dec. 31, had 24 firm orders and 118 options for turboprops. The company won just seven turboprop orders in the 11-month period ended Dec. 31.

‘‘ATR is eating Bombardier’s lunch,” said Nick Cunningham, managing partner at Agency Partners in London. “Funny thing is, everyone wrote the market off a decade ago and now people love turboprops and can’t make them fast enough.”

ATR in 2011 delivered 54 planes and had total revenue of $1.3 billion.

Beochien a écrit:Bon, 3 Milliards, c'est le prix de départ du C-Séries ... 2 années de CA pour ATR, ce n'est pas léger, et plutôt risqué !

Beochien a écrit:Merci Paul !

Je crois bien que maintenant l'Al-Li est arrivé à maturité ...
XX types d'alliages plus faciles à travailler sont en train d'arriver sur le marché !
Donc, je crois que ça peut être considéré !

Evidemment une aile plastoc, hum, ça va être plus difficile ... peut être avec l'aide d'Airbus ou des risk-partners, qui sait ???

JPRS

Airframer ATR has finally entered the Japanese market with Link, a new regional carrier that will commence service in 2013.

The agreement for three ATR 72-600s, which will be leased to Link, was announced at the Japan Aerospace show in Nagoya.

Link, which was formed in April 2012, plans to operate the turboprop aircraft on services between major and local airports in Japan as well as short-haul international routes.

"Today is a really important day for ATR," says ATR's chief executive Filippo Bagnato. "We are entering a new and huge market which may bring us substantial commercial opportunities in a country with some 130 million inhabitants."

ATR has received strong interests from clients on a 90-seat turboprop, and is awaiting the company's shareholders, EADS and Alenia Aermacchi, to give the go-ahead to launch the project.
"We've
finished our major part of the work, and now the ball is in the camp of
the shareholders," ATR chief executive Filippo Bagnato tells
Flightglobal at the inauguration of its training facility in Singapore.
He
adds that the turboprop manufacturer has done work on a feasibility
study "in order to be ready as soon as shareholders give the go-ahead".
The
manufacturer has a clear project of the larger turboprop and is now
refining the design, adds Lilian Brayle, ATR senior vice-president
product support and services.
"The aircraft is not a
modification; it's a completely new aircraft. The overall philosophy is
the same but the wings, landing gear, fuselage, everything will be
bigger," says Bagnato.
He expects that it could take up to five
years for the new aircraft to receive certification, once shareholders
give the approval.
"We're in regular contact with our customers and there is definitely strong demand for the 90-seater turboprop," says Bagnato.
Flightglobal
understands that EADS is unlikely to approve the new generation
turboprop soon because of its limited engineering resources, as much
attention is now focused on Airbus's A320neo and A350 programmes.
Lion
Air's president director Rusdi Kirana, whose regional subsidiary Wings
Air will be the largest ATR operator, tells Flightglobal he is
"definitely interested" in the larger turboprop as it will be "more
economical". He is also open to switching from jets to turboprops on
some routes to cut costs.
"Now the trend is for the aircraft to go
bigger and bigger with the lack of pilots, congestion and growing
market. The question is, is ATR willing to take the risk?" says Kirana.
"If Bombardier comes up with a 90-seater, I will take it for sure. Of course if ATR does it, I'm happier because of the commonality."
Malaysia Airlines turboprop operator Firefly had also said it is keen to be a launch customer for the larger turboprop.
Rival Bombardier had previously indicated that it could develop a larger version of the 70-seat Dash 8 Q400 for entry into service in the second half of the decade.

Avianca and Taca order 15 ATR 72-600s