ATR - Avions de Transport Régional is evaluating a series of modifications to the ATR72-600 to improve its competitiveness in the US market, including a forward passenger door, a 50-seat three-class cabin, and US-specific certification upgrades, ATR director and president Americas Chris Jones told Aviation Week.

The proposed configuration is designed to comply with US pilot scope clauses while competing with the CRJ450 (a new retrofit based on the CRJ200) and CRJ550, and ATR says it could reduce operating costs by up to 45% compared with the latter. The manufacturer will showcase a full-scale cabin mock-up at the Regional Airline Association conference in Washington next September as it gauges customer interest.

The United States has historically been ATR's most difficult market to penetrate. ch-aviation fleets data shows only three carriers operate ATR passenger turboprops in the country: JSX (United States of America) operates four ATR42-6000s, Intracoastal Aviation has one ATR42-500, and Argentum Airways has one ATR42-600.

Jones forecasts demand for around 300 ATR aircraft in the US over the next 20 years, including 200 replacement aircraft and a further 100 driven by market growth and a shift from road to regional air travel.