ATR delivered 31 new and 10 second-hand aircraft to customers last year and secured 35 orders and letters of intent, a performance that the Toulouse-based airframer's executives said signals a clear path to the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The backlog at the end of 2021 stood at 196 aircraft. “I am relatively pleased with our 2021 performance. We are definitely still a long way before we get back to 2019 levels, but we are working to get there. With 15 deliveries in the fourth quarter, we are on a good track,” ATR chief executive Stefano Bortoli told reporters during an online media briefing on Tuesday.

The turboprop manufacturer, a joint venture of Airbus and Leonardo, is looking at ramping up production and is targeting “more than 50” deliveries in 2024, according to Bortoli. ATR is aiming to ship between "mid to high 30" aircraft this year.   

The company’s 2021 figures mark clear progress compared with 2020 when deliveries plummeted to just 10 aircraft and the net order tally reached a paltry three airplanes. In 2019, ATR reported 68 deliveries and net orders for 48 airplanes. ATR signed contracts for 35 new aircraft last year, but one customer canceled a three-unit deal.

The order intake gained traction in the second half and this wave is “continuing,” noted Bortoli. “We look at the future with optimism. We see growth opportunities in many countries and places,” he said, explaining that the positive outlook stems from improved economic conditions and from ATR’s response to the challenges imposed by the pandemic. "We have continued to invest in our product, offering concrete solutions so that our customers can operate their aircraft with the most sustainable business model."

A noteworthy improvement includes the introduction of the new Pratt & Whitney 127XT engine series, which consumes 3 percent less fuel and offers a 20 percent reduction in engine maintenance costs compared to its current engines. ATR aims to gain certification for 100 percent SAF use by 2025 and the entry into service of the STOL variant, the ATR 42-600S, is expected for the end of 2024. The flight-testing camping of the short takeoff and landing ATR42-600 is due to commence “soon,” according to Bortoli.

The ATR head and former Leonardo executive remained vague whether the airframer is considering hydrogen or hybrid-electric power solutions, reiterating earlier statements that ATR customers demand an “affordable, responsible and sustainable” aircraft. Hydrogen-powered aircraft is a “brand-new domain and we are doing our homework," he said, adding that some of the company’s engineers are working full-time to understand the technical options and their equation to the economic affordability of the aircraft.

 “We are preparing the next steps and we will announce jointly with our shareholders when the next step will be reachable. We will have something to communicate in the next two to three months,” Bortoli said, without disclosing details.

ATR commercial vice president Fabrice Vautier said Covid has accelerated some trends, such as the development of e-commerce and the shift to working from home. “This leads to an increase in demand to travel from smaller airports and creates new opportunities for regional operators,” he asserted. He expressed optimism about the OEM’s mid and long-term outlook, forecasting demand for 460 freighters in the up to nine tonnes category and a need to replace up to 1,200 aging turboprops in the 30- to 70-seat category in the next 20 years. “This has started already. We see a need for some immediate replacements of aircraft that are 25 to 30 years old, especially in the 30- to 50-seat segment,” Vautier said. “Three-quarters of the orders placed with ATR last year were to replace older-generation turboprops.”