07/08/2026
On the 6th of August 1986 the British Aerospace ATP embarked on its maiden flight. With Chief Test Pilot Robbie Robinson at the controls the 2-hour, 40-minute flight was a complete success.
The British Aerospace ATP (Advanced Turboprop) was a regional airliner developed during the 1980s as the ultimate evolution of the successful Avro and Hawker Siddeley HS 748. Announced in 1984, the ATP was designed to offer lower operating costs, improved fuel efficiency and significantly reduced noise compared with earlier turboprops. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW126A engines driving six-bladed propellers, the aircraft entered airline service with British Midland in 1988. Although highly regarded for its economy and passenger comfort, the ATP entered a competitive market dominated by the ATR 42/72 and De Havilland Dash 8 families, limiting production. (BAE Systems)
Prestwick played a significant role in the programme's later development. Following the closure of British Aerospace's production lines at Woodford and Chadderton in 1992, final assembly and production were transferred to the former Scottish Aviation factory at Prestwick Airport. This move reinforced Prestwick's long-standing position as a centre of British regional aircraft manufacturing, building on its heritage of producing the Jetstream family and other Scottish Aviation aircraft.
At Prestwick, British Aerospace developed the Jetstream 61 (J61), an enhanced version of the ATP. The aircraft featured more powerful Pratt & Whitney PW127D engines, a redesigned interior based on the Jetstream 41, and increased seating capacity from 64 to 70 passengers. The ATP prototype was converted into the Jetstream 61 prototype, which made its maiden flight from Prestwick on 10 May 1994. However, the formation of the ATR–BAe regional aircraft joint venture ended the programme before it could enter commercial service. Only four Jetstream 61 aircraft were completed, all at Prestwick, making it one of the last airliner programmes undertaken at the airport by British Aerospace. In total, 67 aircraft were built across both variants—63 ATPs and four Jetstream 61s—marking the final chapter in the long development of the HS 748 family and one of the last major civil aircraft manufacturing programmes at Prestwick.
