ATR pitches three-class turboprop to US regional airlines

ATR is pitching US regional airlines on a three-class turboprop based on the ATR 72-600, and brought a cabin mock-up to the Regional Airlines Association annual conference in Washington, DC this week.

Depending on configuration, the variant would seat 30 to 78 passengers. The scale model on display had 50 seats across first, premium economy and economy, the same fare structure common on US mainline aircraft.

Changes under consideration include a forward boarding door, replacing a cargo compartment on the current aircraft, and more luggage storage. ATR says these are meant to help the aircraft fit more easily into mainline operations. Chief commercial officer Alexis Vidal said airlines want to connect to gates and use boarding bridges, and that US infrastructure makes forward passenger doors necessary for serving larger hubs.

Production could begin by 2030, contingent on commercial orders that would justify it. According to Vidal, ATR is targeting regional city pairs including Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Indianapolis, and argues that premium demand and congested airspace create an opening for a turboprop, a type unfamiliar to many American travellers.

Vidal said passengers care less about boarding a prop or a jet than about convenience.