The ATR 72-600 is a high-wing twin-turboprop airliner seating about 68 to 78 passengers, popular worldwide for short regional routes. In the mainland US it is mainly seen as a FedEx Feeder freighter, flown by contract operators to smaller cities.
ATR 72-600 at a glance
- First flight
- 1988 (ATR 72); -600 entered service 2011
- Length
- 89 ft 2 in (27.2 m)
- Wingspan
- 88 ft 9 in (27.1 m)
- Engines
- 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M turboprops
- Seats
- 68–78
- Cruise speed
- ~275 kt (316 mph)
- Service ceiling
- 25,000 ft
- Range
- ~825 nmi
How to recognize the ATR 72-600
The ATR 72 is a classic high-wing regional turboprop: a long, slim fuselage with the wing on top and a tall T-tail.
- Wing: mounted on top of the fuselage, straight and slender, with no sweep.
- Engines: two turboprops in slim nacelles under the wing, each driving a six-bladed propeller.
- Tail: a T-tail with the horizontal stabilizer on top of the fin.
- Landing gear: the main gear retracts into fairings, or "sponsons," on the sides of the lower fuselage, creating visible bulges.
- Fuselage: long and slim; freighters have no windows and a large forward cargo door.
- Sound: a propeller drone with a higher pitch than a jet, and a noticeable thrum on takeoff.
- Speed: it looks slow compared with jets, and often flies lower.
The ATR is often confused with the De Havilland Dash 8 Q400, which has engines further outboard, a longer nose and a slimmer, taller stance. A C-130 is also high-wing, but has four engines and a much bulkier body.
On the ground, the ATR sits low to the ramp; passenger versions board through a rear door with built-in airstairs, and freighters have a large forward cargo door. At altitude, it is usually below jets, so its propellers may be visible.
Where and when you'll see it
FedEx was the launch customer for the ATR 72-600F freighter, and its FedEx Feeder network uses contractor airlines such as Mountain Air Cargo and Empire Airlines to fly ATRs between FedEx hubs and smaller cities. These flights usually use the operator's own callsign, not FDX. Passenger ATR 72s are uncommon in the mainland US but are common in the Caribbean and across Latin America.
Typical cruise altitude is FL170 to FL250, much lower than jets. On ADS-B the type code is AT76 (AT72 or AT75 for older versions). Expect feeder flights early in the morning and in the evening, timed to connect with FedEx's sorting operations. See what altitude numbers mean.
FedEx Feeder ATRs fly from hubs such as Memphis, Indianapolis and Fort Worth to smaller cities.
Easily confused with
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules: The C-130 has four engines, a bulky military body and a conventional tail.
- Cessna 208 Caravan: The Caravan is far smaller, with one engine in the nose and fixed landing gear.
Quick facts
- ATR is a joint venture of Airbus and Italy's Leonardo, based in Toulouse, France.
- Many ATRs can run the right engine with the propeller locked by a brake, called Hotel mode, to power the aircraft on the ground without an APU.
- FedEx was the launch customer for the factory-built ATR 72-600F freighter.
ATR 72-600 questions
Why does the ATR fly so low?
Turboprops are most efficient at lower altitudes and on short routes, so ATRs typically cruise in the high teens or low 20,000s of feet.
Do any US airlines fly passenger ATRs?
Very few in the mainland US. Most ATR 72s seen in US airspace fly cargo for FedEx Feeder contractors.
Cities where it's a regular
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for AT76 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.