ATR and UNI Air, a subsidiary of EVA Air, recently signed a deal for 19 new ATR 72‑600 turboprops and three additional purchase rights. The signing ceremony between Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, ATR CEO, and Lin Chi-Chung, UNI Air Chairman, also brought together senior leaders from ATR, UNI Air, EVA Air and Taiwan’s transport authorities.
The aircraft order is ATR’s largest from an airline since 2017 and underscores ATR and UNI Air’s shared vision for more accessible, efficient and sustainable air connectivity across Taiwan. This next-generation fleet will enable UNI Air to modernise and expand its domestic services, particularly to the outlying islands, including: Kinmen, Penghu and Matsu.
Lin Chi-Chung, Chairman of Uni Air, said: “UNI Air has a market share of nearly 60% on domestic routes. In addition to business and tourism travellers, UNI Air is an important means of transport for people living on the outlying islands needing to visit their families and seek medical treatment.”
UNI Air was the first airline in Taiwan to introduce ATR aircraft, and has accumulated 13 years of experience since 2012. In order to maintain a young fleet and a high dispatch rate – and to further enhance overall operational efficiency and market competitiveness – the new aircraft are scheduled to be delivered from 2027.
The new fleet of ATRs will be fully integrated by 2032, increasing UNI Air’s total fleet to 19 from 14 currently. Having five additional ATR 72-600 aircraft increases overall service capacity by more than 20%. In addition to meeting the expectations of the ‘visiting family and friends’ traffic to have convenient access and frequencies, additional flights can also be added in the event of adverse weather conditions or large-scale events in various cities in the future to meet the demand for passenger transport.
Nathalie Tarnaud-Laude, Chief Executive Officer at ATR, thanked UNI Air for its continued trust, and added: “UNI Air makes a meaningful difference for the communities it serves, providing them with the frequency, reliability and connectivity they need. We are delighted to renew our strategic partnership, supporting UNI Air with its expansion plans. UNI Air’s confidence in ATR is the strongest testament to the essential role our aircraft play in shaping efficient and sustainable regional aviation networks. This new order is a powerful affirmation of our mission: building aircraft that bring communities closer together.”
ATR 72-600 is the world’s best-selling turboprop aircraft, with more than 1,900 units sold to 200 airlines, and 1,300 airports served. The ATR 72-600 offers low maintenance costs and high operational efficiency to match the volume and frequency of domestic routes. The new aircraft is equipped with the new PW127XT engines, which improves fuel efficiency by at least 3% compared to its predecessor and reduces maintenance costs by as much as 20%, demonstrating excellent energy saving and operational efficiency. In terms of cabin design, the ATR 72-600 has been upgraded with a new air-conditioning and purification system and an ergonomic seat design, providing a more comfortable flying experience for passengers. The seating capacity has also been changed to 72 seats. The new 72-seat configuration not only maintains a spacious and comfortable travelling space, but also increases service capacity by 3% per flight.
With 16 domestic routes and more than 900 weekly flights, UNI Air is the most densely-flown domestic airline, serving as the most important bridging routes between the outlying islands and the eastern part of Taiwan. UNI Air has become a leading brand for domestic routes, providing a number of industry-first services, and has been recognised 10 times by the Civil Aviation Administration as the first-place winner of the ‘Domestic Scheduled Route Category’. In the future, UNI Air will continue to uphold the core values of ‘safety’ and ‘service’, improve the quality of flights and strive to create a more comfortable, convenient and trustworthy flying experience for passengers.
The ATR 72-600 is uniquely suited for airports with short runways, such as Matsu Nangan, where the 1,579-metre runway poses operational challenges for most conventional jets. Its ability to handle steep approaches and operate efficiently in geographically dispersed and topographically diverse regions makes it ideal for Taiwan’s regional network.
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