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REGIONAL

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NEW ATR VARIANTS

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VIETNAM RTA MARKET

ATUL CHANDRA
commercial air transport has over their network and replacing bigger
ATR, the leading manufacturer of land-based transport,” an ATR offi- aircraft with smaller capacity air-
regional transport aircraft (RTA) is cial, told Asian Airlines & Aerospace craft so they can better match
looking to increase its presence in in a recent interaction. “This is not capacity with demand. If passenger
Vietnam’s rapidly growing commer- only due to inadequate road infra- demand is lower on certain routes,
cial aircraft market. The airframer structure, but also to heighted airlines can maintain their network
is likely to receive increased inter- awareness about health and safety and frequency by ‘right-sizing’ to
est for new variants of existing resulting from the pandemic: people ATR aircraft that have a much lower
aircraft in its portfolio such as the feel it is safer to fly on an aircraft fuel burn and trip cost. Achieving
ATR 42-600S, ATR 72-600F, P2F con- – where you have assigned seat- lower trip cost is important in the
versions and future ATR aircraft ing– than to be sitting on a crowded current climate where some airlines
powered by the Pratt & Whitney bus. This is why in some markets the have become more risk adverse
PW127XT turboprop engines. The shift in mobility from land-based and need to manage cash-flow.
airframer has been searching for transport to air-based transport is
market success in Vietnam, with accelerating during the pandemic.” Future ATR aircraft powered by new
Vietjet having acquired six ATR PW127XT engines are likely to also
72-500s between 2009-10. Vietjet The first flight of the ATR 42-600S attract interest from Vietnamese
had announced its intention to is scheduled for 2023, with first carriers. The PW127XT engine will
sell these aircraft in July 2021 and deliveries planned for end of 2024 deliver a 3 per cent improvement
in fuel burn and 20 per cent lower
expressed an inclination towards jet or beginning of 2025. “We are maintenance costs. “Fuel is the big-
powered RTAs to replace the fleet. actively promoting this product to gest cost to an airline’s operation,
operators and see this new vari- so an additional 3 percentage point
ant of ATR as a way to expand the
Change of Heart customer base while meeting the lower fuel burn has a tremendous
impact on the airline’s bottom line.
ATR, however, continues to observe needs of operators that want an The best hedge against higher fuel
aircraft that can land and take off
very strong interest in Asia Pacific from runways as short as 800m.” price is to operate aircraft that burn
markets for regional turboprop air- The ATR 42-600S will offer superior less fuel. The XT effectively lowers
craft and several market observers STOL capability to operators allow- the breakeven point for them and
believe that prospects for sale of ing them to open up new markets makes the ATR even more econom-
ATR aircraft to Vietnam are look- and connect additional communi- ically viable as compared to jets,”
ing increasingly likely in the coming ties to a larger network. The ATR an ATR official said.
years. “People in this region have 42-600S will allow airline operators
always been drawn to the greater access to close to 500 airports that The boom in e-commerce over the
convenience and time saving that have a runway length between 800- past two years which has resulted
in air freight receiving greater pri-
1,000m. According to ATR officials, ority could also result in demand
markets considered ideal for the for the new ATR 72-600F, which is
ATR 42-600S, include: Indonesia, the a purpose-built freighter aircraft.
South Pacific, Papua New Guinea, “We expect the freighter market to
Japan, etc. continue growing exponentially and
foresee a demand for 460 freighters
Efficient Future over 20 years in the up to 9 tonne
category,” an ATR official said.
Another trend too is that some ail- Vietnam could emerge as a strong
ines and operators are rebuilding potential market for such aircraft.

VIETNAM AVIATION EXPO 2022 2022 SEPTEMBER | 17