Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Segment Information - Summary of Segment Reporting Information (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Segment Information - Summary of Segment Reporting Information (Detail) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Apr. 04, 2015
Mar. 29, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Sales $ 161,638us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet $ 140,951us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet  
Income from Operations 17,543us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss 13,627us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss  
Interest Expense, Net of Interest Income 1,246us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet 2,323us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet  
Income Before Income Taxes 16,297us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 11,304us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest  
Total Assets 600,283us-gaap_Assets   562,910us-gaap_Assets
Test Systems Segment [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Sales 19,286us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
18,579us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
 
Operating Segments [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Income from Operations 21,177us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
15,795us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
 
Percentage of Operating Profit (Loss) and Margins 13.10%atro_PercentageOfOperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
11.20%atro_PercentageOfOperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
 
Operating Segments [Member] | Aerospace Segment [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Sales 142,352us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_AerospaceSegmentMember
122,372us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_AerospaceSegmentMember
 
Income from Operations 23,402us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_AerospaceSegmentMember
17,490us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_AerospaceSegmentMember
 
Percentage of Operating Profit (Loss) and Margins 16.40%atro_PercentageOfOperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_AerospaceSegmentMember
14.30%atro_PercentageOfOperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_AerospaceSegmentMember
 
Total Assets 512,777us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_AerospaceSegmentMember
  468,481us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_AerospaceSegmentMember
Operating Segments [Member] | Test Systems Segment [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Sales 19,341us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
18,689us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
 
Income from Operations (2,225)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
(1,695)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
 
Percentage of Operating Profit (Loss) and Margins (11.50%)atro_PercentageOfOperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
(9.10%)atro_PercentageOfOperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
 
Total Assets 64,413us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
  69,247us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Test Systems Segment [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Sales (55)us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_IntersegmentEliminationMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
(110)us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_IntersegmentEliminationMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atro_TestSystemsSegmentMember
 
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Interest Expense, Net of Interest Income 1,246us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_MaterialReconcilingItemsMember
2,323us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_MaterialReconcilingItemsMember
 
Corporate and Other Expenses, Net 3,634us-gaap_OperatingExpenses
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_MaterialReconcilingItemsMember
2,168us-gaap_OperatingExpenses
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_MaterialReconcilingItemsMember
 
Corporate [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Total Assets $ 23,093us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
  $ 25,182us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember