Pilot shortages, unsold planes weigh on ATR deliveries: sources

Franco-Italian turboprop maker ATR is tackling a slump in deliveries resulting from a combination of industrial delays, unsold aircraft and pilot shortages, industry sources said. The turboprop maker, owned jointly by Airbus and Italy’s Leonardo, has delivered only a handful of aircraft in 2019 but aims to recover in the second half. ATR declined to give a figure for mid-year deliveries but said it was confident of achieving its target of matching last year’s total handover of 76 aircraft. “Our market is a very volatile one and we are used to managing that well,” a spokeswoman said. ATR dominates the turboprop market, competing against the Bombardier-developed Q400, recently acquired by Canadian manufacturer Viking Air, and China’s upcoming MA700. With debate about aviation’s environmental impact intensifying, ATR aims to pitch its 72-600 at next week’s Paris Airshow as cleaner than regional jets, with 40% less emissions per trip. While the show is dominated by competition for big jets, ATR says a third of the world’s commercial airports rely solely on turboprops, which help drive regional economic development.<br/>