Reuters
• Abhijith Ganapavaram
Goa-based Indian regional carrier FLY91 will begin receiving 40 ATR 72-600 turboprops next year, with deliveries continuing through 2032. The order is valued at roughly $1 billion and represents ATR’s largest firm order in almost a decade, as well as its biggest agreement with a regional airline.
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Goa-based Indian regional carrier FLY91 will begin receiving 40 ATR 72-600 turboprops next year, with deliveries continuing through 2032. The order is valued at roughly $1 billion and represents ATR’s largest firm order in almost a decade, as well as its biggest agreement with a regional airline.
French firm Kepplair is preparing an ATR 72 conversion for aerial firefighting and expects to obtain supplemental type certification for the modification in 2027. The project would adapt the turboprop platform for a specialized mission, subject to certification approval.
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India’s Fly91 is nearing an order for at least 20 ATR turboprop aircraft, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The deal would support the startup’s fleet expansion and deepen its commitment to India’s regional aviation market, which is being encouraged through government subsidies for connectivity.
Equatorial Guinea is considering a $139 million deal for ATR 72-600 turboprops for flag carrier CEIBA Intercontinental. The potential transaction would represent a significant fleet investment for the airline and could shape its regional capacity and aircraft strategy, although the available reporting does not detail timing or aircraft quantity.
Russia’s United Engine has completed design documentation for a prototype VK-1600S turboprop and is preparing a demonstrator. Derived from the Klimov VK-1600S helicopter engine, the powerplant is intended for smaller aircraft, including a modernized Antonov An-2.
ATR says its analysis has identified 209 new domestic air routes across Indonesia that could be viable, representing an untapped market of 16 million passengers. The findings point to substantial potential for regional connectivity and turboprop operators in one of Asia-Pacific’s fragmented aviation markets.
ATR is targeting the end of the year to establish a baseline design for a hybrid-electric demonstrator, with a new propulsion architecture among several concepts under investigation for a future Evo variant of its twin-turboprop aircraft.
Kenyan carrier Jambojet has secured Ghanaian airline PassionAir as its first external maintenance customer, bringing Q400 9G-BPD to Nairobi for a C-check heavy maintenance visit. The contract follows Jambojet’s expansion of its aircraft maintenance capabilities into a new revenue stream.
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