Alenia Aermacchi delivered today the fuselage to the ATR consortium, to be assembled in Toulouse to build the 1000th aircraft. The ceremony was attended by the company’s top management and the employees who have been engaged in the ATR programme for many years.

In the next few days the 1000th ATR fuselage will leave Alenia Aermacchi’s Pomigliano d’Arco production line, where it was made and equipped with the landing gear before being shipped to Toulouse, Headquarters of the Italian-French ATR Consortium. In France it will be assembled together with stabilisers, wings, engines and other components followed by delivery to the final customer.

Giuseppe Giordo, Alenia Aermacchi’s Chief Executive Officer and Responsible for Finmeccanica’s Aeronautics sector has declared: “The results just achieved are tangible evidence of how much Alenia Aermacchi believes in the regional aircraft’s market in which we are present, not only with ATR – a joint venture between Alenia Aermacchi (50%) and EADS (50%) – but also through the collaboration with Sukhoi  for the Superjet 100; the partnerships with other important players of this sector in the field of aerostructures; the participation in the “Clean-Sky” programme, a project promoted by the European Commission, whose target is to study the configuration of the future’s commercial aircraft, focussing on ecocompatibility, on improvement of the fuel efficiency and on acoustic impact reduction. This important achievement – Giordo has underlined – proves once more the excellence, in terms of human and technological resources, of Alenia Aermacchi’s civil sector, that is concentrated in our production sites of Southern Italy”.

With 1,000 fuselages and stabilisers built, over 1,190 orders, 970 aircraft delivered, ATR is in the ‘Top Ten’ of the world ranking for the most successful commercial airplanes in civil aviation history. Operated by 186 airlines in 90 countries, every 20 seconds an ATR takes off in the world: over 800 million passengers have been flying with this aircraft since the programme started. In 2011 it won 157 orders and, with a backlog of 224 aircraft continues to lead the segment of regional turboprop air transport up to 90 seats, with a 80%- market share.

Such commercial success proves how airplanes’ performances, operational flexibility,low-cost and very low environment impact still now represent – after over 20 years from the date of the activity’s beginning – a reference point for the industry of air transport, thanks to the excellent characteristics of the project and to the continuous technological updates.

The current production standard is represented by the -600 series with new digital avionics, launched in 2007, first flight in 2009, certified on May 30 th 2011 and delivered starting from July 2011. It is featured by its greater strength, better performances, lower maintenance and fuel consumption, the latest-generation  avionic suite, more comfortable cabins and reduced CO2 emissions per passenger. The new internal set up is made by the multiple-award-winner “Armonia” cabin, designed by Giugiaro.

 Alenia Aermacchi’s role in the ATR programme Alenia Aermacchi has been EADS partner in the ATR equal joint venture for over twenty years. Alenia Aermacchi makes the entire fuselage for all the ATRs, completely equipped, and the vertical and horizontal stabilisers, these latter parts made in composite material.

The fuselage is built and assembled in the Pomigliano D’Arco’s plant, near Naples, while the stabilisers are built and assembled in the Foggia plant. Furthermore, Alenia Aermacchi is responsible for the modifications, logistic support and manufacturing of the spare parts for the components produced in the Italian facilities.

Source and photos: Alenia Aermacchi