ATR 72-600
Glass cockpit and up to 78 seats: today's ATR 72 · First flight 2009 · In service 2011
ATR announced the -600 series in October 2007. The prototype, converted from an ATR 72-500, flew on 24 July 2009, and Royal Air Maroc, the first operator, received the first two aircraft in Toulouse in August 2011.
The -600 brought a Thales glass cockpit with five LCD screens and PW127M engines with a boost function that adds 5% take-off power for short, hot or high runways. EASA approval in December 2015 raised maximum seating from 74 to 78, and the PW127XT engine, unveiled in 2021, promises 3% lower fuel burn and 20% lower maintenance cost.
By September 2018, 444 -600s had been built for 74 carriers. It is flown by Binter Canarias, Azul and Air New Zealand, among many others, and remains the standard choice for 70-seat regional routes.
