ATR has brought a 29-foot-long mock-up to this year’s RAA Conference. This event is ground zero for their target customers. Hard-pressed US regional airlines should be very interested in what’s on display. No new aircraft technology has emerged in the regional space in a long time.
The two OEM incumbents, Embraer and Mitsubishi, have shown creativity in tweaking existing models to optimize for three-class service. This helps drive revenue as airlines chase a premium-seat focus. But it doesn’t solve a key problem – Scope Clause and aging aircraft that burn fuel at higher rates than state-of-the-art aircraft.
As the sole Western turboprop OEM, ATR should be having a field day. But it is a hard market to crack. Chris Jones, Head of Region Americas, Managing Director & President, ATR, Inc., spent 30 minutes going over the challenges and how ATR plans to meet and overcome the hurdles turboprops face in the US.
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