Paris, June 7th 2017 – Saft has been the onboard battery partner for ATR’s 42 and 72 regional turboprop airliners since they entered service in the 1980s. Saft nickel based batteries have been installed on 1,300 ATR aircraft, where they have clocked up over 30 million flight hours. ATR will further extend this relationship by upgrading to Saft’s new generation ULM batteries for all its ATR 42 and 72 aircraft - between 80 to 100 aircraft per year. The ULM design is a direct replacement for the existing batteries with the benefit of ultra-low maintenance construction that offers significantly extended maintenance intervals while also saving weight.ATR is a French-Italian aircraft manufacturer founded in 1981 as an equal partnership between Airbus and Leonardo. It is the world leader for regional aircraft in the below 90 seats category and the company has equipped the fleets of around 200 airlines in 100 countries.Each ATR 42 and 72 aircraft is equipped with two 24 volt batteries – a 44 ampere hour (Ah) main battery and a 17 Ah emergency battery – that provide starting, backup and emergency power for essential loads.The Saft batteries fitted since the aircraft first entered service have delivered a high level of performance and a long service life of around eight years. This persuaded ATR to adopt the new generation Saft ULM batteries that offer additional benefits in terms of enabling maintenance intervals to be extended by a factor of up to three, as well as superior power and energy, a longer service life and high-power performance at low temperatures.Together, the Saft ULM 447CH8 main battery and 178CH1 emergency batteries will help ATR 42 and 72 fleet operators reduce their maintenance costs by at least a dollar for each flight hour while saving more than one kilogram of weight compared with the existing batteries. Furthermore, the ULM batteries are a direct drop-in replacement for the existing batteries.ATR ULM batteries are manufactured in Saft’s Bordeaux factory in the South West of France.About Saft Saft specializes in advanced technology battery solutions for industry, from the design and development to the production, customization and service provision. For nearly 100 years, Saft’s longer-lasting batteries and systems have provided critical safety applications, back-up power and propulsion for our customers. Our innovative, safe and reliable technology delivers high performance in space, at sea, in the air and on land. Saft is powering industry and smarter cities, while providing critical back-up functionality in remote and harsh environments from the Arctic Circle to the Sahara Desert. Saft is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Total.Designed for Industry. www.saftbatteries.com
