Franco-Italian turboprop manufacturer ATR has reached another milestone in its history, delivering its 1,600th aircraft to national flag carrier, Air New Zealand. This delivery highlights the enduring strength of the ATR programme, providing essential connectivity to communities all over the world. It also proves the value of the ATR 72-600 at serving domestic routes in New Zealand as this aircraft is the last of 29 aircraft ordered.
While ties between the two companies initially began some 25 years ago with the delivery of the first-generation ATR, this last decade has seen the forging of closer ties, with the delivery of the 29 72-600 aircraft and through an important collaboration that enhanced the aircraft’s approach capabilities. The introduction of the RNP AR 0.3/0.3 feature, part of ATR’s latest Standard 3 avionics suite, helped the airline and its pilots with the accuracy of the approach into Queenstown airport and providing reliable connectivity to the local community, who benefit greatly from ski tourism in the mountainous region.
Sustainability is also a key concern for both airline and manufacturer, with Air New Zealand having chosen the ATR 72-600 for its fleet as it burns 40% less fuel and emits 40% less CO2 than a similarly sized regional jet. This shared commitment to further enhancing eco-efficiency led to an agreement to work together to explore the future of the regional aviation ecosystem, including hybrid aircraft in 2018.
