ATR today marks its 40-year anniversary, celebrating key breakthroughs for regional aviation over the past four decades. The market-turboprop manufacturer will also use this milestone to look to the future, as it continues to incorporate innovative and sustainable technologies into its aircraft.

On November 4, 1981, ATR’s founding partners –Aerospatiale of France and Aeritalia of Italy– signed the agreement that sealed the shared ambition to produce an aircraft designed for regional connectivity. With an initial business case for a few hundred aircraft, 40 years later, the ATR family now has four versions and the industry has sold 1,700 aircraft. The programme’s enduring success stems from a design that set a benchmark in innovation, incorporating composite materials for the first time. This initial technological leap has since been supplemented by the company’s dedication to continuous development, integrating new technology that deliver tangible benefits to passengers and operators alike.