Aircraft Manufacturer Atr Upbeat On Malaysian Market

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 The French-Italian company cites strong potential for fleet renewal and expansion, especially on domestic routes.
An ATR 72-500 plane operated by MASWings, which is being acquired by Air Borneo. (Bernama pic)TAIPEI: French-Italian turboprop aircraft maker ATR is intensifying its engagement with Malaysian stakeholders, citing strong potential for fleet renewal and expansion to revive regional connectivity, particularly in underserved domestic routes
ATR senior vice-president and chief commercial officer Alexis Vidal said the Malaysian market remains a key part of the company’s growth strategy in Asia-Pacific, as it offers unique opportunities for both aircraft replacement and network expansion.
“Malaysia plays an important role. There is potential to have more than the 20 ATR aircraft in-country today and to grow that further,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of the ATR–UNI Air signing ceremony here.
It was reported that ATR is in talks with Malaysian operators, including Sarawak-owned Air Borneo, to explore the sale of its turboprops following Air Borneo’s plan to replace MASwings Sdn Bhd’s older generation ATR 72-500 series with the ATR 72-600 series.
Air Borneo is in the process of acquiring MASwings, which currently operates eight ATR 72-500s and six DCH-6-400 Twin Otter aircraft, from Malaysia Aviation Group Bhd.
Supporting Subang and beyond
According to Vidal, ATR’s 72-600 aircraft is well-suited for Malaysia’s airport network, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, where many runways are not equipped with full instrument landing systems (ILS).
“With our full glass cockpit and satellite navigation capability, the 72-600 can land safely even at airports without ILS.
“ATR aircraft are ideal for regions lacking jet infrastructure,” he said.
He said ATR also sees value in reviving regional routes from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang and other secondary airports that were historically served by turboprops but are now underserved due to operational or commercial limitations for jets.
“ATRs can recreate a lot of air connectivity on routes that are no longer flown today, either because the demand is too thin for larger aircraft or the airport infrastructure does not support jets,” he said. - FMT

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