ATR 42/72 — flights, routes and airlines

Every city pair operated by the ATR 42/72 worldwide. Live schedule data, recent safety events, and operator details.

The ATR 42/72 is operated by 60 airlines across 1104 city pairs in our observed-flights dataset (last 14 days).

Top routes: AGA-CMN, AHU-TNG, BOB-PPT, CMN-OUD, CMN-TTU.

Variants and specifications

Variant First flight Typical seats Range (nm) Status
ATR 42-300 1984 42-50 716 in service
ATR 42-500 1994 48-50 780 in service
ATR 42-600 2009 48-50 780 in service
ATR 72-200 1988 64-74 825 in service
ATR 72-500 1996 68-74 825 in service
ATR 72-600 2009 70-78 825 in service

Notable accidents and incidents

  • Yeti Airlines 691 Yeti Airlines ATR 72-500 72 fatalities

    Stalled and crashed on approach to Pokhara International Airport, Nepal; all 72 on board perished. Investigation found the captain had accidentally placed both engines into feather (zero thrust) configuration while troubleshooting a false engine warning, causing total thrust loss at low altitude.

  • Aero Caribbean 883 Aero Caribbean ATR 72-212 68 fatalities

    En route from Santiago to Havana, the aircraft entered severe icing conditions, lost control at cruise, and crashed in central Cuba; all 68 onboard were killed in the second-deadliest ATR accident on record.

  • TransAsia 222 TransAsia Airways ATR 72-500 48 fatalities

    Crashed into buildings on approach to Magong Airport, Taiwan, during Typhoon Matmo; the crew descended below minimum descent altitude without visual contact with the runway. 48 of 58 on board were killed.

  • TransAsia 235 TransAsia Airways ATR 72-600 43 fatalities

    Lost power on one engine shortly after takeoff from Taipei Songshan; the crew mistakenly shut down the remaining good engine, leaving the aircraft with no thrust. The ATR 72 clipped a highway bridge and ditched in the Keelung River — 43 of 58 on board were killed, 15 survived.

  • UTair 120 UTair Aviation ATR 72-201 33 fatalities

    Crashed shortly after takeoff from Tyumen, Russia, in icing conditions; cause attributed to ground de-icing failure and aerodynamic stall. 31 passengers and 2 crew were killed; 12 survived.

About the ATR 42 and ATR 72

ATR — Avions de Transport Régional, a Franco-Italian joint venture between Airbus and Leonardo — introduced the ATR 42-300 on 9 December 1985 with Air Littoral, following its first flight on 16 August 1984. The stretched ATR 72, which seats up to 78 passengers, followed in October 1989 with Finnair as the launch customer. Both types use two Pratt & Whitney Canada turboprop engines in a high-wing configuration optimised for short, unprepared, or high-altitude airstrips that jets cannot serve economically.

The current -600 generation (ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600), launched in 2007 and entering service in 2012, adds a full glass cockpit, PW127M engines, and a new cabin. Wings Air of Indonesia is the world's largest ATR operator; IndiGo operates 50 ATR 72-600s in India for routes to smaller cities. As of 2025 more than 1,500 ATRs of all variants have been delivered. The type's accident record includes several high-profile crashes linked to incorrect engine-management procedures and approach below minimums, prompting ATR and regulators to introduce mandatory simulator training for engine-failure scenarios.

ATR 42/72 — safety & facts

Safety record

No recorded occurrences in our database. See full safety record →

Key facts

Manufacturer
ATR
Typical seats
48-78 pax
Range
2,750 km
First flight
1984-08
Recent fatal hull loss: 2026-01-17 View full safety record →

Color reflects time since the last recorded fatal hull-loss involving this type, drawn from public datasets (NTSB, Aviation Safety Network, Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, Wikidata). It is not a commercial safety rating and does not normalise for flights flown, hours, or fleet size — for those, see the manufacturer or IATA Safety Report.

Notable events

  1. — Yeti Airlines — 72 fatalities. Source.
  2. — Aerocaribbean — 68 fatalities. Source.
  3. — Iran Aseman Airlines — 66 fatalities. Source.
  4. — Voepass Linhas Aéreas — 62 fatalities. Source.
  5. — Transasia — 58 fatalities. Source.

Variants

  • ATR 72 — Stretched ATR variant.
  • ATR 42 — Original ATR turboprop.

Recent airline activity

Observed 1065 active routes flown by 57 airlines in the last 30 days.

Operators: IndiGo (129), Scandinavian Airlines (67), Azul (62), Air Serbia (62), LOG (60)

Top routes: NDR–CMN, LPA–CMN, AHU–TNG, TNG–AHU, AGA–CMN

Based on live ADS-B observations collected by FlightFinder, as of 2026-06-04.

Frequently asked questions

Is the ATR 42/72 safe?
The ATR 42/72 family has a mixed safety record. The type serves demanding routes — short runways, mountainous terrain, adverse weather — that carry inherently higher risk than mainline hub-to-hub operations. Several high-profile accidents (TransAsia 222 and 235, Yeti Airlines 691) were caused by pilot handling of engine failures rather than airframe defects. Ice accretion in known-icing conditions was identified as a factor in some earlier North American accidents.
How many fatal ATR 42/72 accidents have there been?
The ATR 42/72 family has been involved in numerous fatal accidents over its 40-year history, primarily linked to approach and landing in poor conditions, ice contamination, and incorrect engine-failure procedures. Three recent high-fatality events are Yeti Airlines 691 (72 fatalities, 2023), TransAsia 222 (48, 2014), and TransAsia 235 (43, 2015).
Which airline has the largest ATR 42/72 fleet?
Wings Air (Indonesia) is the world's largest ATR operator, with over 60 ATR 72s. IndiGo (India) operates 50 ATR 72-600s and is expanding its regional fleet. airBaltic formerly operated a large ATR fleet but transitioned to a mono-type A220 operation. ATR has delivered aircraft to operators in over 100 countries.
What's the difference between the ATR 42 and ATR 72?
The ATR 72 is a stretched ATR 42 with a 4.5-metre fuselage extension, carrying 64-78 passengers versus 42-50 for the ATR 42. Both share the same type rating and cockpit layout. The ATR 72's range is marginally better but similar (~825 nm); the larger variant is more economical on routes that support its higher capacity.
How many seats does an ATR 42/72 have?
The ATR 42-600 seats 48-50 passengers in a single-class layout. The ATR 72-600 seats 70-78 passengers, with most airline configurations set at 72 or 78. Both types use a 2-2 seat arrangement (four abreast) in a relatively narrow fuselage.
When was the ATR 42/72 introduced?
The ATR 42-300 entered service on 9 December 1985 with Air Littoral of France. The ATR 72 entered service with Finnair on 27 October 1989. The current -600 generation of both types entered commercial service in 2012. As of 2025 ATR continues production of the -600 variants at its Toulouse facility.

Fly on the ATR 42/72

It's currently flying from Athens (ATH), Belgrade (BEG), Hyderabad (HYD). See where to catch one and how to book →

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