9 November, 2018:ATR has signed an agreement with Air New Zealand to explore the role of new propulsion technologies, could play in the future of the regional aircraft ecosystem.
Under the agreement the partners will investigate the development of these new solutions and the required systems to support them such as airport and regulatory infrastructure, maintenance, ground and flight operations.
ATR Chief Executive Officer Stefan Bortoli says, “ATR, as a market leader, is working on the future and turboprop technology will be an essential part of that. Hybrid and electric aircraft clearly are in that way forward. The combination of ATR and Air New Zealand jointly exploring the huge opportunities and implications on the whole regional aviation ecosystem is the perfect team. This will be a unique benchmark for the industry and for New Zealand and we look forward to starting this exciting project together.”