When DJ/XR were making a decision on which turboprop to purchase, you can be sure they weighed up speed vs fuel burn (and no doubt a bunch of other things as well). The ATR obviously won out...
I don't know the exact numbers (a pilot or someone else on this board may be able to shed some light), but I've heard the ATR's fuel burn numbers are quite impressive when compared to the Q400, let alone, of course, the E170... In an environment of high fuel prices and uncertainty as to where that price will go, it seems to me to be a smart move.
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