Turboprops Improving their attractiveness in relation to the Jets

Regional Aircraft

Recent changes: 

Economics and operations

In 2005, the regional jet boom suddenly collapsed, do to increasing fuel prices as well as an increase in airline bankruptcies that led to a rethinking of route structures. 

The high per-seat operational costs of the classic 50-seat regional jet have been exacerbated by an environment of ever-lowering fares. Also, Regional Jets were assigned to operate flights of two hours or more. 

This led to angry passengers, as their comfort and ergonomics compare unfavorably to the larger mainline jets which they replaced on these flights. 

Fifty-seat regional jets are being retired at accelerated rates, affecting both their resale value and the value of their parts. 

Bombardier's CRJ100/200and Embera aircraft are seeing very high retirement rates.

Further, the replacement of the hub-and-spoke model simply never took place. 

Economics

Simply too great to ignore.

The economics and routing advantages of this mode of operation were simply too great. As the hub-and-spoke model has always been supported by low-cost regional airliners and turboprop aircraft which once again became a major market. Improving their attractiveness in relation to the jets was the introduction of active noise-reduction systems, which reduced cabin noise to levels comparable, or even lower, than the RJ's. Bombardier found their Dash 8 to be in high demand once again, and shifted production to their latest model, the Bombardier Q400. And now Bombardier has come out with a redesigned 90 seater DashQ-400 and ATR is on its heels designing one of their own making Turboprops that much more attractive.