Reference
ATR 72 Cargo
Larger ATR turboprop on the feeder spokes. Payload, hold, door and the job it usually flies are below.
- Structural payload
- 9,200 kg
- Hold volume
- 75 m³
- Main cargo door
- 2.95 × 1.80 m
How the ATR 72 Cargo is used
The freighter version of the ATR 72 regional turboprop, and one of the most common feeder aircraft in air cargo.
Nine tonnes into a short regional strip, at turboprop cost, is what an overnight express network needs between its hub and the outstations.
Cargo it usually takes
How this family is arranged
- A regional turboprop converted to freight: cabin removed, floor strengthened, and a cargo door cut into the side.
- The door is in the side, so cargo goes in piece by piece or on small pallets. It is not driven up a ramp.
- Tie-down rails sit in the floor. A net or barrier separates the hold from the flight deck.
- Turboprop engines and a low approach speed let these aircraft use short, lightly built runways.
Why operators pick it
- It pays on thin routes where even a narrowbody jet would fly mostly empty.
- It uses short regional strips that no jet freighter can accept.
- A low cost per flying hour suits scheduled feeder work and small time-critical shipments.
- Turns are short, so one aircraft can fly several sectors a day around a regional network.
Settle these points before you book
- Payload is a few tonnes. A heavier shipment needs more rotations or a larger type.
- The side door limits piece size to what can turn through the opening.
- Range is short. These are feeder aircraft, not line-haul equipment.