Canadian passenger and cargo carrier Rise Air has taken its first ATR 72-600, becoming the latest-generation turboprop’s launch customer in the country.
Indigenous-owned Rise Air signed for three new ATR turboprops in November 2024, signalling its intention to become the first operator of the ATR 72-600 series in Canada.
The Saskatchewan-based carrier previously told FlightGlobal that the first new ATR will enter service early next year. It expects an additional two ATR 72-600s to be delivered in 2026.
All three turboprops will be configured to seat 68 passengers.
Derek Nice, Rise Air’s chief executive, says the new aircraft’s introduction is ”about delivering modern, safe and reliable air transportation to remote work sites and infrastructure projects that are vital to Saskatchewan’s economy”.
Earlier this year, Nice told FlightGlobal that options are limited for carriers seeking in-production utility aircraft, particularly those connecting remote villages in far-northern Canada.
“If you want a new aircraft and you’re flying into gravel runways, you don’t have much choice,” he said of the ATRs.
ATR is the only Western producer of large civilian turboprops, though De Havilland Canada has talked of rebooting production of the Dash 8-400.
However, the decision to select the ATR 72-600 was based largely on maintenance and supply chain considerations.
“We’re seeing significant reliability problems with older aircraft,” he said. “The supply chains aren’t working the way they did in the past and maintenance costs really are growing fast.
“There’s strong support for the -600 series in the aviation community, and the supply chains are more robust than we’re seeing on other aircraft types.”
Rise operates several ATR 42s that are 20-30 years old. It also flies Beechcraft 1900s and De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters, as well as Beechcraft King Airs as part of a medevac operation.
ATR says it has more than 60 aircraft operating across Canada, which it notes is a 50% increase since 2019.
”Nearly half of the ATR fleet in Canada consists of full freighters, delivering goods ranging from groceries and medicines to fuel in harsh conditions,” the airframer says.
The Franco-Italian firm is seeking to further boost aircraft sales in Canada, noting that the average age of 30-50-seat turboprops operating in the country exceeds 30 years.
