Page 13 - AAA MARCH - MAY 2022 Online Magazine

capability will allow operators to open up new markets and connect the future through an incremental approach,
additional communities to a larger network: there are close to 500 meaning we can incorporate future disruptive
airports with a runway between 800-1,000m that the ATR 42-600S technologies while constantly improving our
will be able to access. Markets that we see are ideal for the ATR platform, ensuring that they have access to the
42-600S, for example, include: Indonesia, the South Pacific, Papua latest upgrades and solutions. We have incor-
New Guinea, Japan, and so on. porated PBN (Performance-Based Navigation)
that has a direct impact on fuel consumption
There is a growing need for freighter aircraft – because it plots the optimal route to follow.
how does ATR intend to meet this requirement?
The last two years have seen a boom in e-commerce, with people In September 2021, ATR and Sweden’s
increasing their level of online demand for goods. Air freight also Braathens Regional Airlines signed a letter of
provided a financial lifeline to many commercial airlines that have intent (LOI) with support from Neste to work
pivoted towards cargo to offset some of the revenue lost from lower
passenger demand. We also observe a need for cargo operators
to come up with faster and faster ways to deliver goods to our
doorsteps, whilst also looking to reduce their carbon emissions.
Consumers all over the world are becoming more conscious of
their impact on the environment and calling for more sustainable
transport solutions.

We expect the freighter market to continue growing exponentially
and foresee a demand for 460 freighters over 20 years in the up
to nine tonne category. To meet this increasing demand, we offer
three options:

• The first is the new ATR 72-600F, our purpose-built freighter together to accelerate the introduction of 100%
aircraft, the first of which was delivered to launch customer FedEx SAF on ATR aircraft. The project aims to offer
in December 2020. This is a great asset for cargo operators: latest 100 per cent SAF certification in 2025. We
generation avionics, rear door optimised for freighter operations, anticipate this will lead to 82 per cent fewer
large cargo door and wide cross-section. It allows for longer term CO2 emissions. ATR is a very efficient air-
business planning and optimal dispatch reliability. Reduced main- craft so with the new engine variant, which
tenance costs. Greater aircraft availability and productivity. can reduce fuel burn even further, it is a clear
sign of our move towards a sustainable future.
• Besides manufacturing dedicated freighters, we are seeing The savings from fuel also translates into eco-
some operators temporarily convert their ATR passenger aircraft nomic benefits for the customer, making it more
to freighters. We provide solutions for such temporary conver- affordable for people and communities. The
sions. Markets where we see this happening include India and the ATR is also able to connect tier-two and tier-
Philippines. three cities direct, rather than make people do
an additional leg to get to a hub. Having more
• We also offer full freight conversions – mostly passenger aircraft point-to-point flying in itself represents a signif-
converted into freighters. We have now 140 full freighter aircraft icant reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions.
flying, and there were 17 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversions
in 2021 – nearly twice as many as three years ago. Covid has clearly Please provide an update on the
accelerated this trend. PW127XT, which is planned for
ATR aircraft?
What are the various sustainability led We see a strong interest in this engine because
initiatives underway at ATR? it delivers 20 per cent lower maintenance
We have pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and believe costs. The engine also delivers a three per
that there isn’t one single answer to this societal issue. We are cent reduction of fuel burn which compounds
convinced that, while disruptive technologies are not mature yet, to the already unmatched frugality of the ATR
we can already build a more sustainable industry today with the use which burns 40 per cent less fuel than similarly
of 100 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), as well as through sized regional jets. All of this, coupled with the
improved route mapping, through new materials and improved increased intervals between C checks, further
systems. reduces the carbon footprint while improving
the economics of the aircraft. Fuel is the biggest
Turboprops are to date the most sustainable commercial aircraft. cost to an airline’s operation, so an additional 3
We work with airlines to understand the operational impact of any percentage point lower fuel burn has a tremen-
alternative propulsion solution. We support our customers into dous impact on the airline’s bottom line.

ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE March_May 2022 | 13