summary
- ATR is scheduled to deliver its first Highline all-business class ATR-72 with 1-1 seating in late 2025.
- Our client, Berjaya Air, strives to provide the best guest experience.
- ATR offers five premium cabin options.
ATR today revealed new details about the all-Business Class cabin that is set to debut on Berjaya Airways late next year. 
ATR Berjaya Air has unveiled five new premium cabin options, including an “all-class business class” layout that will be used on its operations.
Berjaya Air is a subsidiary of Malaysia's Berjaya Corporation, whose main purpose is to transport guests to the group's hotels and resorts. According to aviation data specialist Cirium, the airline currently operates one 23-year-old ATR-72 and one 14-year-old Bombardier Global 5000. It also reportedly has an ATR-42 in storage.
Highline's first all-business class ATR
ATR has revealed that it plans to deliver the first of its Highline, all-business-class ATR-72s in late 2025. The aircraft is technically scheduled to be delivered in mid-2025, although the cabin will remain empty.
All Business Class cabins will be fitted with a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). The FAA's definition of an STC is:
“A Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) is a Type Certificate (TC) issued when an applicant receives FAA approval to modify an aviation product from the original design. The STC incorporates by reference the related TC and approves not only the changes but also how the changes affect the original design.”
Photo: ATR
Once the aircraft is delivered empty, ATR will hand it over to French MRO provider UUDS, which will install the new cabin. ATR told Simple Flying that the cabin needs to be installed on the aircraft before it can be certified, meaning the aircraft may not be delivered to Berjaya until late 2025, with the second aircraft due to be delivered a few months later, in early 2026.
ATR Wins Orders for 22 Aircraft, Including All-Business Class Plane at Paris Air Show
The turboprop maker has revealed new sales and new configurations for the 72-600.
What to expect from an aircraft
Ahead of today's announcement, ATR gave Simple Flying a sneak peek at what to expect in the First Business Class variant of the ATR 72-600 cabin: While these aircraft typically have a 2-2 seating configuration, the All Business variant will have a 1-1 seating configuration.
According to ATR, these seats will be Geven's new ETEREA seats, which are exclusive to ATR and designed to slide directly into the aircraft's existing seat rails. You can get a preview of what the cabin will look like in the video below.
Naturally, the 1-1 configuration means that all passengers have direct aisle access in addition to two or three windows, but there are no overhead bins for passengers. ATR says that with the significantly reduced seating capacity, each person will be able to store one large carry-on suitcase under the seat in front of them.
Naturally, being a premium product, the seats are said to offer plenty of space. ETEREA seats are 21.6 inches (54.86 cm) wide and recline 7 inches (17.78 cm). This is in addition to the generous legroom. Finally, all seats are provided with both USB-A and USB-C power sources and personal device holders.
Why use ATR specifically for your business?
Now, one might wonder what the business case is for an all-business class ATR. In Berjaya's case, the airline wants to offer a premium experience to passengers flying from Kuala Lumpur to their resorts.
According to its manufacturer, the ATR is as wide as the widest private jet, yet produces 45% fewer emissions than comparable jets. Of course, the trade-off between jets and turboprops is speed, but the ATR reveals that for every hour of jet travel, the ATR only takes about 10 minutes longer, making it a solid choice for reducing emissions.
Photo: ATR
ATR believes this configuration is particularly suitable for commercial customers and U.S. Part 135 operators whose aircraft seating capacity is limited to 30. The solution can be retrofitted to all -500 and -600 ATRs, eliminating the need to purchase a brand new aircraft.
Zuzana Hrnkova, Vice President of Marketing at ATR, commented on the design:
“This new luxury shuttle configuration will elevate the guest experience and redefine corporate and semi-private travel without compromising sustainability. The ATR Highline Cabin Collection is designed to provide unparalleled comfort, luxury and convenience while benefiting from the superior fuel efficiency of turboprop technology.”
Five Highline Cabin Designs
At last year's Aircraft Interiors Expo, ATR unveiled a lineup of five premium “Highline” cabin designs.
- HighLine Multiclass offers two class options in a 50-seat cabin with three rows forward and four rows aft.
- HighLine Premium Flex is a four-row smart seating product that allows you to convert an aisle seat into a table to create a premium window seat.
- The HighLine Multisection is a cabin with a forward VIP area separated from the standard economy cabin at the rear.
- HighLine Bespoke VIP: Designed to bring a private jet feel to the ATR.
- Highline all business class.
Photo: ATR
Talking about the various options, ATR revealed that the Multisection Cabin is already in service with an undisclosed military customer. The Premium Flex Cabin is still in the design stage but has attracted significant interest. ATR believes this cabin will be particularly well suited to regional markets in Europe.
Meanwhile, multi-class cabins are primarily targeted as a replacement for smaller, aging aircraft with first-class cabins used by U.S. Part 121 operators.
What do you think about ATR's Business Cabin? Let us know your thoughts and reasons in the comments section.
