European plane maker ATR bullish on India, in talks with airlines

New Delhi: Bullish on the business opportunities in India, European aircraft maker ATR is in discussions with scheduled and non-scheduled operators to explore sale of its aircraft.

A senior ATR official said it expects the country to have 300 more turboprops in the next 10 years.

A joint venture between Airbus and Leonardo, ATR manufactures turboprops with up to 78 seats as well as freighters.

Currently, there are 70 ATR aircraft in the country that are operated by IndiGo, Alliance Air, and FLY91.

ATR is still “very bullish” on the Indian market and is in active discussions with some of the operators, the company’s Managing Director and Head of Region Asia PacificJean-Pierre Clercin said. Without divulging specific details, he said the company is in talks with scheduled and non-scheduled operators, including those already flying ATR aircraft. India is one of the world’s fastest-growing civil aviation markets and the number of airports as well as regional air connectivity is on the rise.