An ATR Jet study team has submitted its final proposals to Aerospatiale and Aeritalia, parent companies in the ATR consortium, which could pave the way for the launch of its planned regional twinjet in January 1999.
ATR marketing president Antoine Bouissou, speaking at the Speednews regional and corporate aviation supplier conference in Palm Springs, said that ATR "-is looking at getting authorisation to offer the aircraft in 1999 for first deliveries beginning in 2003". Bouissou adds that ATR still plans to offer three members of an ATR Jet family ranging from a smaller 58-seat aircraft to 70-seat and 95- seat versions.
The consortium makes no secret of the fact that the final T-tail, rear- engined design is based heavily on work accomplished with British Aerospace on the AirJet 70 for the now-defunct Aero International (Regional) team. "AI(R) was a good experience and we're still friends," says Bouissou.
ATR is "-looking for partners around the world" in the project, which it believes will not conflict with the planned 100-seat A318 from Airbus Industrie, in which Aerospatiale is a major partner.
"I don't see any real competition with the A318. We are five abreast and they're six. Our aircraft is dedicated to the original regional airlines," he adds. Asia is "-one area we are looking at for partners", says Bouissou. "The involvement of the Chinese, if any, will not be on the scale of that envisaged for the AE31X. It would be minor."
Source: Flight International
