At the 54th edition of the Paris Air Show, the Franco-Italian manufacturer was keen to provide an update on the strong upturn in its business for the current year and the next few financial years. 

Two orders announced at the show

ATR announced a firm order for six ATR 72-600s for Mandarin Airlines, the regional subsidiary of Taiwan's national carrier, China Airlines, with deliveries scheduled from late 2023 to 2025. The turboprops will join the airline's existing fleet of nine ATR 72-600s, to meet the needs of the Taiwanese market. At the same time, the Franco-Italian manufacturer announced a memorandum of understanding for the order of two ATR 72-600s, configured as "all business class", for the Malaysian premium carrier Berjaya Air. They will feature a 1-1 layout with external side storage. Deliveries are scheduled for 2025 and 2026. Since the beginning of the year, ATR has booked a total of 22 firm orders and two options. The orders, all for ATR 72-600s, break down as follows: Mandarin Airlines (6), Berjaya Air (2), Azul (Brazil)(2), three undisclosed customers (8) and two undisclosed customers (3). 

"These new orders are all signs of recovery in Southeast Asia, traditionally one of ATR's biggest markets," said Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, ATR's executive president. "We are convinced that in due course, the efficiency of our products, the lack of second-hand aircraft and air traffic exceeding pre-COVID levels in some parts of the globe, will lead to a growing need for versatile, low-emission aircraft to support regional operators' fleet replacement and expansion plans," she explained. 

Target of 80 annual deliveries by 2026

ATR estimates the need for regional aircraft over the next twenty years at 2,450 for passenger-carriers and 550 for freight-carriers. To keep pace with the increase in workload, the ramp-up in production and the development of new aircraft construction, ATR plans to increase the number of its employees by 12% in 2023. After delivering 25 new and 11 used aircraft in 2022, ATR plans to deliver 40 new aircraft in 2023, 50 in 2024 and is aiming for an ambitious target of 80 annual deliveries from 2026 onwards.