The ATR 72-500 aircraft received the certification from Transport Canada, the Canadian airworthiness authority, enabling Canadian airlines to operate the turboprop either in passenger or cargo configuration.

“Obtaining this certification will allow us to expand the operational scope of our family of aircraft”, stated Alessandro Amendola, Senior Vice President Engineering at ATR. “Once again, ATRs have proven that they are the perfect match for challenging markets, such as Canada, where their ability to fly in extreme cold, icy weather conditions, take off and land on unpaved and short runways, and their unrivalled performance are invaluable.”

As of today, about 40 ATR aircraft are operated in Canada. For instance, the Canadian operator First Air has already been operating the 50-seater version of the same series – the ATR 42-500 – for the past years, in the North of Canada.

The ATR 72-500 will bring further opportunities for passengers as well as cargo air services, the company announces. ATR 72-500 is powered by PW 127M engines, has the passenger capacity of 68-78 seats and maximum payload of 7,000 kg. Its take-off power is 2,475 SHP per engine, maximum range at full passenger capacity ─ 824 nautical miles, while the maximum take-off weight is 23,000 kg.

Founded in 1981, ATR is the manufacturer of aircraft in the market for below-90-seat regional aircraft. Since its creation, ATR has sold over 1,500 aircraft and can be found in the fleets of some 200 airlines in nearly 100 countries. ATR is an equal partnership between two major European aeronautics players, Airbus and Leonardo.