ATR 72-600F

Description: In the early 1980s Alenia Aeronautica of Italy, a Finmeccanica company, and EADS/Airbus France founded a joint venture company, ATR (Avions de Transport Régional/Regional Transport Airplanes), to compete in the regional market with a new family of twin-turboprop passenger aircraft. The ATR 42 model entered service in 1985 followed by the increased seating capacity ATR 72 in 1989 all together these aircraft cover the range of 40 to 70 seats.

The high-wing ATR 42/72 family of aircraft provides high degree of passenger comfort, operational flexibility, spare parts commonality, and low operating costs while delivering outstanding performance. In 1996, ATR launched the -500 series aircraft which marked the beginning of a new generation ATR 42/72 characterized for savings in terms of training, maintenance operations, spare parts supply and cross crew qualification. In addition, existing ATR 42/72 aircraft can be converted into freighters - ATR 42 F and ATR 72 F - with a cargo door at the front of the aircraft or an optional large cargo door.

As of July 2005, more than 739 ATR 42/72 aircraft have been ordered from 125 operators in 72 countries with around 680 airplanes already delivered. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100 turboprop engine family is the primary motorization for the ATR 42/72 family with the latest variant the PW127 powering the newest ATR 72-500 aircraft. Wide use of composite in latest models has translated into reduced airframe weight and improved overall performance.

The ATR 72-600F is a freighter variant of the ATR 72-600 airliner scheduled to enter service by 2020. The ATR 72-600F features a class E main cabin for cargo operations, and will support both bulk cargo and Unit Load Device (ULD) configurations. The ATR 72-600F has a bulk capacity of 74.6 m3, and when in ULD mode, can accommodate up to seven LD3 containers, or five 88-in x 108-in, or nine 88-in x 62-in pallets. The aircraft is also equipped with new reinforced floor panels. FedEx Express became the launch customer for the aircraft type in November 2017 placing an order for 30 plus 20 options.