ATR officially presented the prototype of its ATR 72-600 series in a ceremony at Toulouse on October 1.
“We are very proud and very happy to present our first ATR 72-600 today,” said Stéphane Mayer, ATR’s chief executive officer. “The improvements to our new -600 series are written into our continuous development philosophy in order to optimally respond to the needs of our customers, whether in terms of reliability, control of operation costs as well as passenger service and comfort.”
ATR launched the -600 series in October 2007, with the prototype making its maiden flight on July 24. Service entry is expected in 2011. Features of the updated development of the popular ATR turboprop line include more powerful P&W PW127M engines, an increased maximum takeoff weight, and a new Thales avionics suite including five large LCDs.
ATR’s -600 series order backlog currently stands at 59.
