Air Data News
• Ricardo Meier
Deutsche Aircraft has opened the final assembly line for its D328eco regional turboprop at Leipzig/Halle Airport, moving the program from development toward serial production. The €100 million facility is designed to produce up to 48 aircraft per year and marks the return of complete commercial aircraft manufacturing to Germany after 25 years.
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Deutsche Aircraft has opened the final assembly line for its D328eco regional turboprop at Leipzig/Halle Airport, moving the program from development toward serial production. The €100 million facility is designed to produce up to 48 aircraft per year and marks the return of complete commercial aircraft manufacturing to Germany after 25 years.
ATR is again courting U.S. regional airlines with a three-class turboprop featuring forward boarding, positioning the aircraft as a replacement for aging regional jets. The Franco-Italian manufacturer says production could begin by 2030, but only if commercial orders justify launching the program.
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An Air New Zealand ATR 72-600 evacuation at Wellington took nearly three minutes after an engine fire on final approach—almost twice the benchmark—because passengers initially failed to perceive the threat and about half retrieved carry-on baggage. Investigators are examining the factors behind the delayed response.
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ATR will replace CEO Nathalie Tarnaud Laude with Leonardo Helicopters executive Vittorio Lorenzo Della Bella on Nov. 1, under the turboprop manufacturer’s statutory leadership rotation. Patrick Bergues will become CFO, marking a broader refresh of the company’s senior leadership as ATR targets growth and recovery.
France’s Air Corsica has five ATR 72-600s inactive while a probe is underway, according to Commercial Aviation News. The report does not identify the probe’s scope or expected duration, leaving a significant portion of the carrier’s turboprop fleet unavailable.
ATR argues that U.S. regional aviation may be ready to reconsider turboprops, whose market share has eroded since the rise of regional jets. Scope-clause limits on newer regional jets could create an opening for more efficient turboprop operations, if airlines and labor groups accept the trade-offs.
IndiGo is in discussions with Embraer and ATR over regional aircraft that could complement or eventually replace its 44 ATR 72 turboprops. Embraer’s E2 jet would address the capacity gap between the ATR 72 and Airbus A320 family, potentially broadening India’s largest airline’s fleet strategy.
ATR Senior Vice President Alexis Vidal says the turboprop maker sees further growth opportunities across Asia-Pacific following FLY91’s $1 billion order. The deal strengthens ATR’s position in a region where the manufacturer believes its turboprops are particularly well suited to regional connectivity.
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