Ten questions about ATR 72-500 aircraft

The Finnair fleet consists of approximately 80 aircraft, twelve of which are ATR 72-500 aircraft. The ATR 72s have been part of our fleet for quite a long time already, since Finnair’s then subsidiary Karair was the first airline to take the aircraft into service in October 1989, a year after the aircraft type had made its first flight in 1988. Today, Norra, or Nordic Regional Airlines, operates 12 of the newer generation ATR 72 aircraft for Finnair.

Karoliina Parhiala, Fleet Manager, has worked at Norra for nine years, working in the Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO). Continuous Airworthiness Management refers to, for instance, the preparation and maintenance of aircraft maintenance programs and ensuring that maintenance is carried out on time. As the expert on the ATR 72, Karoliina answers ten questions.

1. When did Finnair get the first ATR 72 aircraft and how many of these aircraft does Finnair have today?

“The first ATR 72-500s were seen on Finnair flights already in 1989, operated by Karair. Before that, Finnair had operated the ‘little twos’, ATR 42s, since 1986. After Karair, Finnair and its other subsidiaries continued flying the ATR 72s. Currently, Finnair has 12 newer generation ATR 72s that Norra operates exclusively for Finnair.

The designed lifespan of an ATR aircraft is 70,000 flights and/or flight hours. Depending on the aircraft’s utilisation rate, that 70,000 could last up to 40 years. However, the newest aircraft OH-ATP in the current ATR fleet, built in 2012, is already close to the halfway point of its lifespan.”

2. What are the dimensions of the aircraft? How much does it weigh?

“The length of the ATR 72-500 aircraft from the radome to the tip of the tailcone is 27.17 metres while the wingspan is 27.05 metres. The ground clearance of the empty aircraft is approximately 0.6 metres. The aircraft weighs approximately 13 tonnes (kilograms) when empty, and 10 tonnes more when full with passengers and cargo.”

3. What is the seating capacity of the ATR 72 aircraft? And how many pilots and cabin crew members work on board?

“We have two different configurations or versions of the ATR 72 in our fleet: seven planes have 68 passenger seats and five have 70 passenger seats. Both versions have the same size cargo holds. We always operate the ATR flights with two cabin crew members and two pilots.”

4. What kind of destinations do the ATR planes fly to? What are the shortest and longest routes?

“The ATRs mainly fly to different destinations in Finland, the Nordic countries and the Baltic countries. For example, in July 2025, we flew to 26 different destinations in Finland, Norway and nearby with the ATR 72 aircraft. The ATR's shortest, but also the most frequent route, is Helsinki–Tallinn–Helsinki, which is no longer than 30 minutes. The aircraft's longest routes are to Tromsø, Norway, with a flight time of 2 hours and 50 minutes, and to Bergen, Norway, with a flight time of 2.5 hours.”

5. How high and how fast can the ATR 72-500 aircraft fly? And what is the longest distance it could theoretically fly?

“The maximum altitude of the ATR 72-500 is 7,620 metres and the cruising speed is 463 kilometres per hour. Currently, Tromsø and Bergen are the furthest destinations we can reach with a full ATR 72 aircraft. However, if only half of the passengers were on board, the ATR could reach the Mediterranean Sea from Helsinki. Moreover, every two years, the ATRs undergo a three-week heavy maintenance in Slovenia, where they fly without passengers. Regular and smaller maintenance we take care of at Helsinki Airport.”

6. What are some unique or special features of the ATR 72 aircraft?

“The ATR 72 is an independent aircraft: it has a reverse gear and its own stairs, so practically it doesn’t need any equipment from the airport. The ATR does not require much length from the runway either – 1,500 metres is enough for it – and the width of the runway doesn’t need to be more than 30 metres.

Finnair’s shortest flights on the ATR 72 are very fuel-efficient. When fully loaded, the aircraft consumes only 2.5–3 litres of fuel per hundred passenger kilometres, which is less than most passenger cars.

On average, one ATR flies about eight flights a day, but there have also been days when one ATR has flown a total of 14 flights. On a daily basis, the ATRs operate almost 30 percent of Finnair's daily flights. Although the ATR is small in size, due to its flight frequency, it can carry as many passengers per day as one Airbus A350.”

7. Does the ATR 72 use any technology that Finnair’s other aircraft don’t have?

“The ATR is an older generation aircraft meaning that while other aircraft have electronic control surfaces (Fly-by-Wire), the ATR uses mechanical control via wires. Flying the ATR is, therefore, much more ‘traditional’ flying so to say.”

8. What kind of engines does the ATR 72-500 aircraft have?

“The ATR 72-500 aircraft have Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100 series engines, which are PW127M models. The engines spin the six-bladed Hamilton Sundstrand 568F propellers.”

9. What do you think our customers don’t know about this aircraft type?

“The ATR 72-500’s right propeller has a propeller brake that allows the propeller to be stopped while the engine remains running. This allows our pilots to generate electricity and keep the air conditioning running when the aircraft is on the ground. This function is called the Hotel Mode.”

10. Lastly, would you please share with us a memorable moment related to the ATR 72?

“I was in charge of the cabin renovation and painting project carried out in 2019–2020. The actual renovation took place in Tallinn, where new seats were installed in the aircraft and the cabin was modified according to the Finnair brand. Some cargo spaces were also enlarged, and the planes were painted on the outside to match Finnair’s other aircraft.

The first modified aircraft arrived from Tallinn to Helsinki in the dark of the night and it was brought straight inside the hangar. We had managed to keep the modification project a secret, and no pictures of it had been published in advance. The flight arrived in Helsinki later than planned, but thanks to that, our own staff was the first to see the plane.”