The ATR 42 is an high wing twin-turboprop commuter airliner for up to 46 passengers and 4 crewmembers produced by Franco-Italian manufacturer ATR,
with final assembly in Toulouse, France. ATR stands for Avions de Transport Regional, a joint venture between French Aérospatiale (now part of Airbus)
and Aeritalia (now Leonardo S.p.A.), with headquarters in Toulouse. On 4 November 1981, ATR officially launched the ATR-42 project as a result of
merging two separate aircraft concepts: the AS35 from Aérospatiale and the AIT 230 from Aeritalia. The two companies had been working on their
respective aircraft concepts since 1978. Both concepts, the AS35 and the AIT 230 were started as a short-range 35-seat turboprop airliner. In
July 1980 was decided to merge the efforts and a marketing study resulted in February 1981 in starting the development of a 42-50 seat airliner,
the ATR-42. The first of two ATR-42 prototypes, F-WEGA c/n 1001, flew for the first time on 16 August 1984. After the certification was granted
on 24 September 1985, deliveries of the ATR-42-200 started in December 1985. The ATR-42 evolved and on 16 August 1984, the ATR-42-300 with greater
payload range and a higher takeoff weight than the ATR-42-200 was flown first. The ATR-42-300 became the standard production version until 1996.
The ATR-42-320 is equipped with two 2100 hp Pratt and Whitney PW121 engines. The ATR 72, a stretched version of the ATR 42, first flew in 1988.
On 2 October 2007, ATR announced the launch of the -600 series aircraft; the ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600 featured various improvements to increase
efficiency, dispatch reliability, and lower fuel burn and operating costs. The ATR twin turboprop passenger aircraft line consists of the ATR 42
and ATR 72. The current production version are the ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600 series. ATR has built over 1300 ATR-42 and ATR-72 aircraft. The
ICAO Aircraft Type Designator with Wake Category used to classify aircraft types for the ATR-42-320 is ATR43.
.
On 30 May 1994, Avions de Transport Regional ATR.42-320 s/n 378 flew first as F-WWLA. On 13 June 1994, the aircraft was registered F-OHFE with Air Dolomitie.
On 8 November 2001, registration F-OHFE was cancelled. On 9 November 2001, the ATR-42-320 was registered PH-XLM with Air Exel Netherlandshe and the aircraft
was painted in KLM Exel colours. In the period 31 March 2002 until 1 June 2002, the PH-XLM was leased to Cameroun Airlines. On 15 August 2003, registration
PH-XLM was cancelled and the ATR-42 was registered PJ-XLM with Bonair Exel in the Dutch Antilles. On 2 March 2005, Bonair Exel suspended its operations and
the PJ-XLM was transferred to Bonair Express. On 3 June 2006, the PJ-XLM was transferred to Dutch Antilles Express. In June 2011, the aircraft was reported
as stored. On 9 February 2012, the ATR-42-320 entered service with Islena Airlines as HR-AXN. In May 2015, the aircraft was reported as stored. On 15 July
2016, the iarcraft was registered G-ISLJ with Blue Islands, Jersey. On 19 October 2016, the ownership of ATR-42-320 G-ISLJ was transferred to Airtrails
Leasing 1, Zug, Switzerland. On 4 May 2017, registration G-ISLJ was cancelled as exported to Guernsey as 2-FLYE and stored. On 21 May 2019, after the ATR-42-320
was converted to a freighter, the aircraft was registered HB-AMC with Zimex Aviation. On 12 July 2003, the fresh in BonairExel colours painted Air Exel'
ATR-42-320 PH-XLM visited Groningen Airport Eelde (EHGG/GRQ).
