A turboprop aircraft developed by former Embraer employees, the ATL-100 will be produced in Portugal. DESAER, from Brazil, closed a joint venture with CEiiA (Center for Engineering and Product Development) to enable the development and assembly of the model.
According to Miguel Braga, director of CEiiA, the first prototype should be presented in 2023 and the start of deliveries to customers occur between the end of 2025 and 2026.
The ATL-100 was designed by DESAER as an aircraft of versatile proposal, capable of carrying up to 19 passengers or 2.5 tons of cargo. With a high wing configuration and rear cargo door, the plane does not have pressurization and is equipped with a fixed landing gear, being able to operate on unprepared runways.
Thanks to the support of Portuguese companies and agencies, the ATL-100 will be the first aircraft 100% developed in the European country, which has assembled aircraft under license and has produced aeronautical components for several years.
“With this program, we want to definitively reinforce what is the national aeronautical pole in Évora, with the development of a complete and innovative program that allows us to create a new integrator from Portugal, for the industrialization and operation of new aircraft generation”, said Miguel Braga.
CEiiA estimates to create 1,200 jobs and invest 164 million in the program. The two companies are now studying where the assembly line for the ATL-100 will be built – the existing options are the cities of Beja and Ponte de Sor.
The goal of the joint venture is to offer the ATL-100 as a replacement for old turboprop aircraft such as the Brazilian Embraer Bandeirante. One of the project’s direct competitors is the Cessna SkyCourier, which is already in the flight testing phase.
