ATR is the world‘s number one regional aviation aircraft manufacturer. ATR aircraft are in use by 200 operators all over the world, on 2095 routes serving 1300 airports. 1800 aircraft have been sold worldwide so far.

ATR is at the forefront of sustainable regional flight, and its three sites in France are ISO 14001

certified. Founded in 1981, ATR is a joint venture between Airbus (France) and Leonardo (Italy). In French the name stands for Avions de Transport Régional, and in Italian Aerei da Trasporto Regionale.

ATR aircraft often serve airports with limited infrastructure: short runways, steep approaches, no ILS. Typical use cases include island-hopping, remote areas, and short-haul commuter routes in difficult terrain.

Already famous for its versatile turboprops, ATR now offers a new generation of turboprops up to 78 seats. The ATR 72-600F freighter opens up new possibilities for regional air freight. The ATR Freighter features Large Cargo Door Operation – thanks to the large cargo door and wide cross-section, it can accommodate industry standard unit load devices to interline with larger freighters.

ATR uses a Dark Cockpit approach, meaning that switches and buttons remain dark or blank if things are standard. If a mode is selected or something is not as it should be, the switch lights up with a mode/fault light, but as long as everything is functioning normally the cockpit remains dark. Lights come on only when there’s an abnormality, drawing the crew’s attention exactly when and where it’s needed. This reduces cognitive overload and helps pilots stay focused on flying, not on interpreting unnecessary signals.

Most recent milestones:

• Joint venture with Pratt & Whitney Canada to develop next-generation turboprop engines (Evo hybrid-electric variant)
• 2025: ATR meets new fuel efficiency standard with CS-CO₂ Certification and the most fuel-efficient aircraft in its class

AXIS offers the entire ATR range at all device levels: Panel Trainer, ATR cockpit simulator, ATR Level D simulator, and state-of-the-art ATR full flight simulator (FFS) on a full-motion platform.

Full Coverage for ATR

Axis offers the same degree of sophistication with Level D full motion sims for both the new ATR generations like the ATR42/72-600 and the legacy generations (ATR500 or ATR320) still being operated in numerous countries worldwide.

The original ATR 42/72-500 cockpit uses the analog “steam gauge” layout, also known as the six-pack, with instruments like altimeter, airspeed indicator, and attitude indicator. At AXIS we don’t cut corners on display panels; a Level D Full Flight Simulator needs to replicate the real cockpit in form, function, and fidelity. We therefore offer complete ATR 500 cockpit simulators in the original configuration, true to the original design.

ATR transitioned to glass cockpits in the -600 series and we naturally support this development as well, with full integration of either OEM avionics or our own proprietary rehost solution (see below). This lets us build any lower-level training device to the same level of fidelity as a Level D Full Flight Simulator.

We also offer upgrades for both aircraft and avionics, as well as for the visual system. What’s more, our simulators can be set up as convertible platforms, for example allowing switching between ATR 42-320 and ATR 72-500 configurations. Our modular design lets users swap cockpit panels in less than 30 minutes, for maximum training flexibility and efficiency. Since we design and build all our panels in-house, we can ensure the highest fidelity in every detail of machining and production.

The AXIS IRIS Rehost Platform enables the integration of native aircraft software into flight training devices without the need for special hardware. The platform provides a fully emulated real-time environment running on COTS hardware with full ARINC610 support, to enable snapshots and extended malfunctions that would not be possible with OEM hardware. Its supports multiple software loads and airline options, easily switchable through the platform API. By using the unmodified aircraft ICD for data exchange and industry standard protocols (like ARINC429, AFDX and ARIN665), integration to an FTD is easily accomplished.

The AXIS Technical Monitor and Control System (TMCS) reflects our dedication to simulator availability. It drastically reduces maintenance time, and provides easy access to all information on simulator status, hardware, and IT components, plus an extensive knowledge base. Maintenance agility is outstanding, since TMCS can run on any mobile device via WiFi. Remote support by AXIS is also available through TMCS.