A new training and simulation center for the ATR -600 series of twin turbopropeller commuter aircraft was opened to customers in Florida this week, the company announced on Tuesday. The new ATR full flight simulator is located at the existing Airbus Training Center across the street from Miami International Airport. ATR is a joint venture of Airbus and Leonardo (formerly Finmeccanica). Operators of the 48- to 70-seat commuter turboprops in the Americas were previously faced with sending their pilots to France, South Africa or Singapore for simulator training, where the company trains over 3,500 pilots per year, including both type-rating and recurrent training students.
The ATR-72 and ATR-42, while not common in the Americas, are popular in Europe and Asia with airlines serving relatively short runways and leg lengths. The ATR-72 can take off or land on 3,000 feet of runway at sea level. ATR’s CEO, Christian Scherer, said the new training center was partly motivated by a “strategic move to reenter the U.S. market,” where short-haul service is dominated by regional jets and the faster Bombardier Q400. The company says 1,100 of their aircraft currently are in service with 200 airlines in 100 countries.
