On April 3, ATR, a leading regional aircraft manufacturer, announced that it was strengthening its partnership with SUM Air, a newly established Korean Airline. The carrier has placed an order for four brand-new ATR 72-600 aircraft, along with additional purchasing rights.
SUM Air strengthens partnership with ATR
The agreement was signed in Seoul at the France-Korea bilateral economic forum on April 3, 2026, an event that the French President attended.
SUM air was founded in 2022, to reconnect Korea’s unvisited regions, including future island airports and short-haul routes to neighbouring countries such as Japan and China. The airline began its commercial operations in March 2026, with a new leased ATR 72-600 from Avation. SUM Air on Dec. 29, 2025, had recorded its first ATR 72-600 from Aviation PLC, solidifying its longstanding relationship with ATR.
On March 10, the airline received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) with more than three years of preparation and personal training. This order solidifies SUM Air’s vision for expansion domestically and internationally to support ambitions for regional mobility.
Chief Executive Officer of SUM Air, Yongduck Choi, stated:
“SUM Air, a regional air mobility airline, aims to strengthen regional connectivity across Korea and serve as a key part of the aviation infrastructure supporting regional revitalization through its partnership with ATR, a world-leading manufacturer of regional aircraft.”
ATR to assist with Korea’s goal for better regional aviation
ATR has long identified Korea as a market with significant potential for regional aviation, forecasting a fleet of 25-30 ATR 72 aircraft in the country within the next few years.
Chief Executive Officer, Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, of ATR added:
“The ATR 72-600 is designed exactly for the type of regional connectivity SUM Air aims to develop. Its short-runway performance will allow SUM Air to access island airports where jets cannot operate, and its fuel efficiency and cost effectiveness make routes viable that would otherwise not be sustainable.”
These deliveries are scheduled from 2028, for up to eight ATR 72-600 aircraft.
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