ATR (aircraft manufacturer) in the context of "Toulouse"

Leonardo S.p.A., is an Italian multinational company specialising in aerospace, defence and security. Headquartered in Rome, the company has 180 sites worldwide. It is the 12th largest defence contractor in the world based on 2020 revenues. The company is partially owned by the Italian government, which holds 30.2% of the company's shares and is its largest shareholder.

On 1 January 2016, Leonardo-Finmeccanica became a single industrial company by integrating the activities of its subsidiaries AgustaWestland, Alenia Aermacchi, DRS Technologies, Selex ES, OTO Melara and WASS. The company is organised into five divisions (Helicopters, Aircraft, Aerostructures, Electronics, Cybersecurity). It is also the parent company and corporate centre for the subsidiaries and joint ventures Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space, MBDA and ATR. Leonardo is listed on the Borsa Italiana and is a constituent of the FTSE MIB and Dow Jones Sustainability Indices.

Aeritalia was an aerospace engineering corporation based in Italy. It was formed out of the merger of two aviation companies, Fiat Aviazione and Aerfer, in 1969.

Aeritalia continued several programs of its preceding companies, perhaps most prominently the Fiat G.222 transport aircraft. Furthermore, the company was involved in various multinational programs and initiatives, including the European multirole aircraft Panavia Tornado, the ATR family of regional airliners, and the fighter-bomber AMX International AMX. Aeritalia was also a partner in the Boeing 767 from its inception, and played a key role in the creation of the Italian space industry, being involved in the Alfa rocket. In 1990, Aeritalia and Selenia were merged at the behest of parent corporation Finmeccanica to create Alenia Aeronautica, an aerospace and defense specialist.

The ATR 42 is a regional airliner produced by Franco-Italian manufacturer ATR, with final assembly in Toulouse, France.On 4 November 1981, the aircraft was launched with ATR, as a joint venture between French Aérospatiale (now part of Airbus) and Aeritalia (now Leonardo S.p.A.).The ATR 42-300 performed its maiden flight on 16 August 1984 and type certification was granted during September 1985.Launch customer Air Littoral operated its first revenue-earning flight in December of that year.

The high-wing airliner is powered by two turboprop engines, Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120s.The number "42" in its name is derived from the aircraft's original standard seating capacity of 42 passengers.Later variants are upgraded with new avionics, a glass cockpit, and newer engine versions.The ATR 42 is the basis for the stretched ATR 72, introduced in October 1989.

The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR.The number "72" in its name is derived from the aircraft's typical standard seating capacity of 72 passengers.The ATR 72 has also been used as a corporate transport, cargo aircraft, and maritime patrol aircraft.

To date, all of the ATR series have been completed at the company's final assembly line in Toulouse, France; ATR benefits from sharing resources and technology with Airbus SE, which has continued to hold a 50% interest in the company. Successive models of the ATR 72 have been developed. Typical updates have included new avionics, such as a glass cockpit, and the adoption of newer engine versions to deliver enhanced performance, such as increased efficiency and reliability and reductions in operating costs. The aircraft shares a high degree of commonality with the smaller ATR 42, which remains in production as of 2025.