Turboprop maker ATR has delivered its 1000th aircraft, an ATR 72-600 for Spanish airline Air Nostrum.
The Franco-Italian company is coming off a record 2011 in which it sold 157 aircraft. High fuel prices have contributed to a resurgence in popularity for turboprop aircraft on regional routes, with ATR saying its aircraft accounted for more than 80 per cent of sales of regional aircraft with fewer than 90 seats last year.
“Today, ATR planes are present in over 90 countries and are flown by 180 airlines,” ATR CEO Filippo Bagnato said. “Few programs can boast such a global presence.”
A joint venture between Alenia Aermacchi and EADS, ATR delivered its first aircraft, an ATR 42, to French airline Air Littoral in December 1985.
