Turboprop manufacturer ATR has revealed its year-end order figures in Paris today and has emerged joint top of the regional aircraft sales league for 2005 with Embraer.

The resurgence of the turboprop market last year has vaulted ATR to the head of the turboprop order rankings, with 90 net orders for 2005 compared with 61 for Bombardier's Q Series. With demand for small regional jets collapsing, the Franco-Italian manufacturer is now neck-and-neck with Embraer for total regional aircraft orders taken last year, in net terms. Bombardier secured 57 orders for the CRJ700/900 family, but saw 58 cancellations for the smaller CRJ200/440 family and similarly Embraer secured 97 orders last year for its E170/190 family, but saw seven cancellations and no orders for its smaller ERJ family. A full table is below.

In overall terms, the regional manufacturers suffered declines in deliveries and orders last year, but the turboprop revival has partially masked the jet decline.

Deliveries and orders fell 15% last year to 291 and 240 aircraft, respectively, for ATR, Bombardier and Embraer. But within these numbers, there are two stories: orders for ATR and Bombardier Q Series turboprops grew more than twofold and deliveries rose by 30%, as sales of regional jets fell by over one-third, and output by 20%.

ATR's 90 orders ranks it equal number one with Embraer for 2005 in net order terms - a remarkable turnaround for a company that was once the regional market leader, but had been struggling to muster double-digit orders annually during the recent slump in turboprop sales.

"This commercial success is evidence of the strong revival of the turboprop aircraft in the regional aviation market", said ATR chief executive Filippo Bagnato. "We have to go back more than 15 years to register this high of a level of sales. 2005 is ATR's one of the best years with a level of sales equivalent to 1988", he added.

Although Bombardier has maintained its position as the largest producer, its regional jet net orders were in deficit as a result of over 50 cancellations for the 50-seat models. However this decline was partly offset by resurgence of the turboprop market, with the Q Series family securing 61 orders.

Embraer's small regional jets also suffered, but this was offset by sales of the large models, which secured just under 100 orders for the second year running. Overall, Embraer's orders fell by 18 units.

MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / PARIS