ATR aircraft deliveries plunge, sees slow recovery

Deliveries of turboprop aircraft built by Franco-Italian manufacturer ATR plunged to an 18-year low last year as regional airlines bear the brunt of the coronavirus crisis, company figures showed on Wednesday. CE Stefano Bortoli said deliveries fell to 10 aircraft in 2020, compared with 68 reported for 2019, while new orders shrank to 6 from 52 published a year earlier. ATR, jointly owned by planemaker Airbus and Italian aerospace group Leonardo, aims to double deliveries in 2021. “It will take a few years to get back to 2019 levels,” Bortoli told a news conference. After cancellations, ATR posted three net orders in 2020, down from 48 in 2019. ATR swung to a E138m loss in 2020 from a profit of E106m a year earlier, according to Airbus data. Domestic routes, where turboprops are more efficient than jets on short hops, are widely expected to lead the recovery from the industry’s worst meltdown, ATR said. For now, a glut of second-hand aircraft and the weak balance sheets of regional buyers are weighing on demand for turboprops.<br/>