The ATR family is a popular passenger and freighter turboprop aircraft that was first developed in 1988. The aircraft type was created by a joint venture of Arospatiale known as Avions de transport rgional in French or Aeri da Trasporto Regionale in Italian. The ATR 72 was produced from the original and smaller variant, the ATR 42, which was first produced in 1984. Over the last four decades, the aircraft has transported millions of passengers all over the world, with its performance competing with another famous turboprop aircraft: the De Havilland Dash 8 series.