ATR Chases Regional Airline Growth in Asia-Pacific

By some margin, the Asia-Pacific region ranks as a top priority for sales growth at regional airliner manufacturer ATR. Over the next 20 years, the European airframer forecasts deliveries of more than 1,000 aircraft in the region—nearly half of the roughly 2,100 passenger aircraft it expects to deliver worldwide in the market segment it serves.

According to Alexis Vidal, ATR’s senior vice president of commercial, the creation of new regional routes will be as significant as airline fleet replacement. His team aims to capitalize on the company’s 50- to 70-seat twin turboprops' ability to operate from runways as short as 4,264 feet, which he said makes new hub-feed and point-to-point services viable.

The ability to serve new secondary cities is driving ATR sales to operators such as South Korea's Sum Air, which took delivery of its first ATR72-600 aircraft on January 4. The start-up carrier is preparing to launch services from Sacheon in March and add routes to cities including Ulsan, as well as island destinations such as Tsushima, Ulleung, Heuksan, and Baengnyeong.

ATR is also targeting India, where the government-backed Regional Connectivity Scheme is facilitating the expansion of regional air services with access to additional airports.

“Last year we did a mobility study [in India], analyzing intercity routes between 100 and 400 nautical miles for which airline travel is now only 3%,” Vidal told AIN. “We think we can take this to something like 7% or 8% with our fantastically low trip costs based on 45% lower fuel burn compared with regional jets of a comparable size. That makes a big difference when competing with trains and buses.” The data was gathered from travelers’ GPS devices.

At the Singapore Airshow, ATR is promoting its new HighLine business-class cabin, which Malaysia’s Berjaya Air has ordered for its two ATR72s configured with 26 seats to serve resort destinations. Air Tahiti has also specified a HighLine configuration for its four aircraft.

In 2027, the manufacturer is introducing the X-Space Table, which allows for a standard dual economy seat to be converted into a single premium seat within minutes. Air Cambodia is the launch customer for that option.

The new Pratt & Whitney PW127XT engines, now standard on ATR72-600s, are projected to burn 45% less fuel than similar-sized regional jets. According to ATR, the upgrade has also reduced maintenance costs by 20% and extends engine time on wing by 40%.

Hybrid Propulsion Plans

Working with Pratt & Whitney and other RTX group partners, including Collins Aerospace, ATR is conducting a feasibility study into a possible hybrid-electric aircraft concept called Evo. In late 2025, the EU-backed Clean Aviation program selected ATR to lead several related projects, with the goal of flying an ATR72-based technology demonstrator before 2030.

According to Vidal, multiple airlines have expressed interest in a hybrid aircraft that could enter service around 2035. “We want to be realistic and credible based on our 40 years of experience,” he said. “It has to be able to operate in mountain and island locations where there is limited infrastructure.”

Through 2028, ATR is working to increase production rates to meet rising demand. Of the 1,045 passenger airliner sales that ATR's 2025-2044 market forecast projects for the Asia-Pacific region, 210 aircraft are expected to go to India. That forecast indicates 360 orders in Europe, 255 in North America, 240 in Africa, and 200 in Latin America. In addition to the 2,100 new passenger turboprops, ATR anticipates 500 freighters will join airline fleets worldwide by 2044.