ATR Turnover Grows 30% in 2006

On the occasion of the ATR annual press conference, which took place today in Paris, Filippo Bagnato, ATR CEO has announced a turnover of US $ 700 million in 2006, a growth of about 30% compared to the previous year (US $ 542 million revenues in 2005, based on IAS standard). 2006 has confirmed the strong recovery of the turboprop market already experienced in 2005.

ATR has booked orders for 63 new aircraft (see figure 1) plus 25 options. Some orders have not been yet unveiled.
“Once again this year we have entered new customers convinced of the qualities of our aircraft in terms of economics, environment and comfort”, declared Filippo Bagnato. “In addition to the confirmation of our commercial success in Europe and Asia, orders in Africa lifted up to 12 aircraft on that continent, which represents 20% of ATR order intakes in 2006”.

From the beginning of the programme, ATR has sold 837 aircraft (401 ATR 42s and 436 ATR 72s), through 31 December 2006.

ATR portfolio is today composed of 126 operators, including 11 new operators in 2006 (see figure 4), in more than 70 countries.

ATR has delivered 24 aircraft in 2006 versus 15 deliveries in 2005 (see figure 2).
From the beginning of the programme, ATR has delivered 713 aircraft (390 ATR 42s and 323 ATR 72s), through 31 December 2006.

ATR has a backlog of 124 aircraft through 31 December 2006, an increase of some 40% compared to 2005 (see figure 3). ATR market share in 2006 is about 60%.

The second-hand market still remains very dynamic and has experienced once again a strong activity in 2006, thus contributing to increase the residual value of the ATR aircraft. ATR posted 31 aircraft transactions (24 ATR 42s and 7 ATR 72s) including 12 cash sales. ATR delivered 29 second-hand aircraft.

To face the strong production ramp up, the ATR staff has increased of 18,5% in 2006. ATR workforce is of 642 employees through 31 December 2006. An additional increase is scheduled in 2007.

In 2006, ATR has significantly developed its support and services capabilities worldwide. In order to be more reactive and closer to its customers, ATR has moved two of its spare parts distribution centers. One from Toulouse to Paris (Roissy).The other one from Washington to Miami.

Spare parts and services activities posted a strong increase in 2006 with 20% of additional orders. ATR also signed its biggest Global Maintenance Agreement (GMA) in 2006 with the Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines. This US $50 million agreement covers spare parts and the maintenance of its fleet of ATR 72-500s. The GMA are adapted to the needs of each operator and include a large choice of services to make the aircraft operations easier and to reduce the maintenance costs.

Furthermore, the ATR training center in Toulouse has acquired two last-generation flight simulators today certified: the Full-Flight Trainer (FFT). These new simulators give the opportunity to the airlines to improve the training level of the flight crew while reducing costs. In India, the first training center managed by ATR and Air Deccan is already in operation.

ATR plans to deliver 44 new aircraft in 2007 and more than 60 in 2008. This will allow ATR’s turnover to further grow and go around US $ 1 billion. Also, this confirms the ATR’s good economic and financial results. On the regional market, the new turboprop aircraft has a very important growing potential, including emerging markets such as Russia, China, Africa or Latin America. In North America, there are also additional turboprop sales opportunities.  

Concerning support and services activities, ATR has recently opened a spare parts distribution center in Auckland, thus confirming the aim of the aircraft maker to strengthen the relationship with its existing and future customers in the Pacific area. In addition, ATR will unveil next month the opening of a spare parts distribution center and a customer support center in Delhi and Bangalore respectively.

ATR which is committed to a continuous process of improvement of its aircraft to meet the market needs, has announced an important « first » beginning of January 2007 with the delivery to Kingfisher Airlines of the world’s first turboprop aircraft equipped with In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system and Light Emitting Diode (LED) in the whole cabin. The LED becomes a standard of the ATR aircraft. The IFE will be proposed as an option. The LED will be also available on the navigation lights in the course of this year.
In order to keep improving passengers comfort, ATR is working on an innovating cabin concept that could be unveiled at the next Paris Airshow in Le Bourget. ATR is also working to update the avionics of its aircraft.
With a thrust increase of 5%, the P&W 127M engine will be certified in the course of the first semester 2007. It will allow the ATR aircraft to improve performances both on high and hot conditions.

In a world that is more and more concerned about the sustainable development, leading authorities to take drastic decisions (for example, the European Emission Trade Scheme has been extended to the aeronautics), ATR is the “Green Player” of the regional market. On a 200 Nm, the fuel consumption per passenger of an ATR 72 is about 15% less than a European standard car and 60% less than a 70-seater jet. These figures appear even more important when related to gaseous emissions: 1 tonne of burned fuel represents 3 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Toulouse, Southern France-based regional aircraft manufacturer ATR is the world leader in the 50 to 74-seat turboprop market. ATR is an equal partnership between Alenia Aeronautica (Finmeccanica group) and EADS. ATR is certified ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q 9001:2000 and EN/AS/JISQ 9100, the worldwide quality standard in the field of aeronautics.

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