Aircraft Industry: Euro rival’s plane better than Canadian Bombardier’s Q400 on short haul, expert says - by Brent Jang

French-Italian ATR 72-600

A leading aviation analyst has declared a European-built French-Italian turboprop to be superior on short-haul flights over its Canadian rival, resulting in a surprising vote of confidence for the foreign aircraft maker’s bid for a 40-plane contract with WestJet Airlines Ltd.

The French-Italian ATR 72-600 is the ideal fit for WestJet because it’s more fuel efficient than Bombardier Inc.’s Q400, said Ben Cherniavsky, a Vancouver-based analyst with Raymond James Ltd.
“According to our detailed calculations, the ATR fleet delivers superior returns,” he said in a research report Thursday.

The ATR 72-600 – with a list price at $23-million (U.S.), compared with the Q400 at $30-million – stands out on shorter routes that WestJet will be considering for its new regional subsidiary, Mr. Cherniavsky said. “Our analysis reveals that there are relatively few markets in Canada where the speed of the Q400 makes a material enough difference to offset its higher costs.”





For more: Euro rival’s plane better than Bombardier’s Q400 on short haul, expert says - The Globe and Mail