RAM takes delivery of the first next generation ATR 72

Royal Air Maroc formally became the launch customer of the ATR 72-600 turboprop when a delegation from Casablanca attended a special handover ceremony at Toulouse on Friday.

The 70-seater aircraft will allow the Moroccan national airline to reinforce its domestic and its nearest international network. In 2009 the airline ordered four ATR 72-600s and two ATR 42-600s, for a total of more than US$ 125 million.

These ATR 72-600s of which the first aircraft was on exhibit at the 2011 Paris Air Show, are the first ones to be equipped with the new "Armonia" cabin, specially designed for ATR by the Italian company Giugiaro Design. It includes new seats that are both lighter and more comfortable, providing passengers with more room, as well as more spacious overhead compartments.

These are also the first ATR aircraft to be equipped with the new avionics suite developed by Thales. The avionics feature a new glass cockpit with 5 screens and new communication, navigation and monitoring systems. It is also equipped with a new flight management system (FMS), automatic pilot, alert management and a new computer including new aircraft maintenance functions, among other developments.

Driss Benhima, chief executive of Royal Air Maroc expressed his “satisfaction at becoming the first operator of this regional aircraft that represents a new benchmark in regional aviation. The six ATR ‘-600s’ that we are going to add to our fleet will enable us to develop new routes while offering high-quality service to our passengers.”

The ATR 72-600 obtained European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification in May 2011, a prerequisite for its entry into service. The ATR 42-600 will be certified by the end of the year and will enter into service in 2012. Since the launch of the ATR “-600” program in October 2007, ATR has already recorded orders for some 180 “-600” series aircraft.