IATA AT4ICAO AT43

Aerospatiale/Alenia ATR 42-300

Aerospatiale

TravelerPulse profile

Twin-turboprop pioneer of short-haul regional aviation.

First flight

1984

Category

Regional turboprop

Seating

42–50 passengers

Range

1,650 km

Engines

Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120 turboprops

Status

In service

The ATR 42-300 is a twin-turboprop regional airliner developed jointly by Aérospatiale of France and Alenia Aeronautica of Italy under the ATR consortium. It was designed specifically for short-haul regional routes, offering fuel efficiency and the ability to operate from smaller, less-equipped airfields. The -300 variant is the baseline production series of the ATR 42 family, powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120 engines. It entered service in 1985 and quickly became a popular choice among regional carriers worldwide due to its economics and reliability. The ATR 42-300 seats between 42 and 50 passengers and has been operated on thin regional routes across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Its success led to further variants including the stretched ATR 72, and later improved -500 and -600 series.

Notable operators

Major operators have included Air France, Air Tahiti, Finnair, Alitalia Express, and numerous regional carriers worldwide.

Notable facts

›First flight took place on 16 August 1984.
›Entered commercial service in December 1985 with Air Littoral.
›The ATR consortium was formed in 1981 between Aérospatiale and Aeritalia (later Alenia).
›The design features a high-wing configuration for improved ground clearance and rough-field operations.
›It was one of the best-selling regional turboprops of its era, paving the way for the stretched ATR 72.