At a ceremony today in Toulouse, the regional aircraft manufacturer ATR presented their newest product, the ATR 72-600, the first in what’s going to be the ATR ‘-600 series’. The new aircraft is which has been designed specifically to have the lowest possible fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per passenger.  These regional turboprop aircraft are already pretty efficient for short hops, so the latest designs must be even better.

ATR have nick-named the 72-600 the ‘city car in the sky’ due to its high efficiency in short-haul flights, flight trials started in July this year, and the aircraft is predicted to enter into commercial service in 2011. Some more information is available here (article in French) and check out this very stylish promotional video for the aircraft.