Originally Posted by
Heathrow Harry
In-service numbers also support ATR’s dominance: Aviation Week’s 2017 Commercial Aviation Fleet & MRO Forecast estimates a global ATR 72 fleet of 921 aircraft in 2017, versus 539 Q400s.
ATR 72 production started 1989-90. Q400 production started 1999-2000. I'd say those are pretty comparable numbers given the 72 had a 10 year lead. Of course between 1989 and 2000 Dehavilland/Boeing Canada/Bombardier was pumping out lots of -100s/200s/-300s.
A more accurate sales/production comparison would be between the ATR 72-600 and Q400.
But the Q400 will always lag behind the ATR in sales no matter it's near-universal performance/technological/economic superiority. They simply don't have the production capacity to make them quick enough - and I believe this hurts sales when it comes to customers waiting for loonnnggg lead times.
That oft-quoted figure of 31 airplanes (June 2017) is inaccurate as well, there's been an additional 25 firm orders from SpiceJet, with options for 25 more. Plus a couple random orders as well.