The ATR42 In Air Queensland Service

The third of the new generation commuters to enter Australian service is the European ATR42. To appreciate how these new technology projects are changing the face of regional operations, Australian Aviation travelled north to where Queensland is replacing its Friendships with new ATRs.

Air Queensland and the ATR42

In the late 1970s the state aerospace companies of France and Italy, Aerospatiale and Aeritalia were carrying out separate design and marketing studies on a new regional transport aircraft. In 1978 deregulation was introduced by the United States while the mainstays of the. Regional Airlines, the F27, which entered service in 1958 and the BAe 748, which entered service in 1960 as the Avro 748, were nearing the end of their production runs. It was then estimated that a potential market existed for some 4,000 regional transport units before the end of the century.

In June 1981 at the Paris Air Show a model of a twin-engined, high-winged aircraft known as the ATR42 was displayed. ATR stood for Avians de Transport Regional while the 42 reflected the typical seating capacity of the new airliner. In October 1981 Aerospatiale and Aeritalia signed an agreement to create the Avians de Transport Regional consortium and consolidate their design and market studies in the ATR42.

This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.

Login

Become a Member

To continue reading the rest of this article, please login.

Username or Email

Password Forgot password?

Keep me signed in on this device.

If you check this box before you log in, you won’t have to log back into the website next time you return, even if you close your browser and come back later.

If you check the box above before you log in, you won’t have to log back into the website next time you return, even if you close your browser and come back later.

---

or

---

Login with a Passkey

To unlock all Australian Aviation magazine content and again unlimited access to our daily news and features, become a member today!
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.

PRINT

$49.95 for 1 year Become a Member

See benefits

• Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
• Access to In Focus reports every month on our website

MOST POPULAR

PRINT + DIGITAL

$99.95 for 1 year Become a Member

$179.95 for 2 years Become a Member

See benefits

• Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
• Access to the Australian Aviation app
• Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
• Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
• Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
• Daily news updates via our email bulletin

DIGITAL

$5.99 Monthly Become a Member

$59.95 Annual Become a Member

See benefits

• Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
• Access to the Australian Aviation app
• Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
• Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
• Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
• Daily news updates via our email bulletin

View more offers and details