European planemaker forecasts Indian market requires 300 new turboprops over next two decades
ATR eyes 10-15 aircraft deliveries to Indian airlines annually
Mumbai : ATR is eyeing 10-15 aircraft deliveries to Indian airlines annually over the next five years, estimating increased regional connectivity, said the European planemakers' Asia Pacific Head of Sales Jean-Pierre Clercin, as per reports.
Its ATR 72, the twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner, is the third most popular aircraft type in India after Airbus A320 and A321. After serving the Indian aviation market for two-decades, at present, there are 66 ATR-72 turboprop planes, flown by Alliance Air and IndiGo, in the country's commercial fleet of 780-plus planes.
Clercin mentioned thanks to India's aviation boom, it is currently Asia's fastest growing market. From 2013 to 2023, the number of ATR aircraft increased by 120 per cent, as India nearly tripled local routes-following increasing demand for regional connectivity. Therefore, Clercin forecasts a market requirement of 300 new passenger turboprops over the next 20 years to serve India's aviation development.
In 2023, five ATRs were inducted by Indian airlines, and around 75 in the last one decade. The APAC Head of Sales attributed ATR's success in India to the accessibility it offers to challenging airfields. Currently, ATRs are the only modern aircraft capable of flying to short-runway airports such as Kullu, Shimla or Agatti in Lakshadweep, he added.
Most of the interest Clercin is witnessing currently is in ATR-72-600 version. He expressed that ATR-42 is also a suitable plane, which Alliance Air is using to serve challenging terrains in the Himalayas.
However, ATR operators are reportedly facing supply chain challenges and shortage of spare parts. About the issue, Clercin said ATR is in constant discussions with its suppliers to manage priorities. The plane manufacturer has increased its investments in stock to have parts ready even in a scenario where lead times are growing.
In addition, Clercin claimed ATR has dismantled three aircraft to reuse the components, qualified alternative suppliers mainly for urgent simple parts. Hence, Clercin expects to come out of this supply chain crisis, towards by 2024 end.
It may be mentioned here that ATR also supports customers with pilot training. They have three ATR training centres in Singapore, Paris, and Miami. For further expansion, ATR is increasing its full flight simulator capacity by 15 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023.
