Toulouse: ATR, the world's leading turboprop maker, faces the challenge of ramping up production to match rising demand while making its products even more technologically appealing.
The company, equally owned by Airbus Group and Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica, is gearing up to boost its output to 95 aircraft in 2015 and 110 the year after, up from 80 in 2014 .
"The ramp-up is our top priority, and there is huge pressure on our production lines and supply chains," said Patrick de Castelbajac, the chief executive of ATR.
Buoyed by rising demand, ATR's annual production at its southern France facility has risen steadily from 15 in 2005 to 74 in 2013.
The production increase is intended to meet an order backlog of 300-plus aircraft worth more than US$7.5 billion at the end of 2014.
To achieve its targeted production rates, ATR will need to raise its manpower to 1,200 from 700 in 2014.
In spite of ATR's leading global position in 50- to 90-seat turboprops — a 39% market share as of October 2014 — the company is working to make a better aeroplane.