Ian Sheppard has acted as Editor International Show Editions for AIN since June 2013. Based in the Redhill, England, Ian reports for the various AIN publications as well as providing support to International Editor Charles Alcock in covering international air shows (such as Farnborough, Paris, Singapore and Dubai), and the EBACE and MEBA business aviation events. His central role is to cover Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Prior to becoming more involved with AIN in mid-2011 (initially as deputy international editor), Ian worked for various aviation publications through his company, First Aerospace Media. This included being part of the AIN team covering daily news at international air shows.
Ian has worked for publications such as Flight International (technical reporter, 1997-8) and Aerospace International (editor, 1999-2000). He was publications manager at Airclaims (Ascend) between 2000 and 2004 before forming First Aerospace Media. Since mid-2009 Ian has also been managing editor of Regional International, the journal of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA).
Ian hasis working towards a European commercial pilot licence, having held an FAA private pilot license in 1991, and instructor rating. He also has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Bath, England, and a graduate diploma in law from Kingston University, and is a graduate of the legal practice course (College of Law, Guildford).

Editor

Ian Sheppard

Toulouse, France-based regional turboprop manufacturer ATR is pressing ahead with plans to increase its production rate&nbsp;progressively&nbsp;over the next three years while preparing to add a larger, 90-seat model to its product line, which now consists of the 50-seat ATR 42-600 and 74-seat ATR 72-600.


After rolling 54 aircraft off the production line last year, the company plans to manufacture 70 this year, 80 next year and 85 in 2014, while it projects its turnover to increase from $1.3 billion to $2 billion per year. It expects to propose the 90-seater model to its shareholders by the end of this year.


Last year saw ATR book firm orders for 157 aircraft (13 ATR 42s and 144 ATR 72s, plus a total of 79 options) from 13 clients worldwide, well ahead of its previous record year in 2007, when it collected orders for 80. Its backlog now stands at 236 aircraft, worth some $5 billion and representing approximately three years of production. The numbers take into consideration the removal from its books of 38 aircraft India’s Kingfisher would have taken before it missed delivery pre-payments, triggering effective order cancellation.


In December ATR confirmed that it would <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/?q=aviation-news/dubai-air-show/2011-11-14/atr-cease-atr-72-500-production-2012#en">discontinue production of the older -500 models</a> toward the end of this year and produce only the new -600 models, which feature a new Thales glass cockpit, enhanced Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada powerplants and a new Armonia cabin with more baggage space.


Speaking at a January 18 press conference in Paris, ATR CEO Filippo Bagnato said that ATR 72-600s had completed more than 3,000 flights since entering service with Royal Air Maroc last August, achieving a&nbsp;dispatch reliability rate of&nbsp;99.7 percent.


He highlighted that in the market for 50- to 90-seat aircraft, turboprops now account for some 85 percent of orders, of which ATR had achieved a 70 percent market share. “Turboprops, and particularly ATRs, appear more and more to be the right solution for regional aviation,” he said, while adding that introduction of its planned 90-seater would not spell an end to its smaller models because they would account for two-thirds of a market ATR estimates at some 3,000 aircraft over the next 20 years.

ATR Rides Wave of Turboprop Popularity as It Ponders Larger Model

ATR rides wave of turboprop popularity 

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