In any transportation system, be it surface, sea or air, seat configuration plays a critical part in successful business models. The seat matrix is arrived at based on various parameters, primarily demand and viability. In the airline business, it is all the more important as air fares are not inexpensive, nor are the costs of operation for an airline. The airline has to get “bang for the buck”.How do airlines arrive at ‘right sizing’ of their aircraft? They do that by looking at the cost per available seat miles (CASM) and revenue per available seat miles (RASM). ASM is a measure of an airline flight’s passenger carrying capacity. It is equal to the number of seats available multiplied by the number of miles or kilometres flown. An ASM is the fundamental unit of production for a passenger-carrying airline.

RASM is a commonly used measure of unit revenue for airlines, expressed in currency received for each available seat mile and determined by dividing various measures of operating revenue by ASM. The higher the RASM the more profitable the airline should be, assuming that the CASM remains constant.

For a regional airline, which invariably will be operating on short-haul and thin routes, there is a constant need for looking at seat configuration as the routes have to be nurtured till they mature. Since the airline will have to create demand on such routes, it has to judiciously choose aircraft that best gives it low CASM or higher RASM.

EMBRAER MAKES THE PITCH

Embraer points to the difficulty of matching aircraft capacity to market demand which is intensified by continually evolving markets. Since no single aircraft perfectly satisfies passenger demand on every flight, every day of the week, throughout the year, maximising passenger yield and minimising operating costs for any market can be a delicate balancing act requiring right-sized equipment. Mainline jets with 120-plus seats are effective in serving large-market, high volume city pairs. And on lower demand routes, 50-seat regional jets have been successful. However, market volumes requiring 70- to 110- seat jets are currently being served inefficiently due to the industry’s lack of optimum sized aircraft. Commercial carriers have a limited number of options to right-size fleets for efficient operation in the 70- to 110-seat category. Embraer states that neither current mainline aircraft nor regional jets are best suited to serve the emerging 70- to 110-seat market.

Mainline aircraft with too many seats are increasingly flying smaller demand routes. Meanwhile, regional markets are still expanding, putting pressure on the current breed of regional jets to carry more passengers more frequently. Clearly, passenger demand is trending toward the 70-/110-seat segment, a range for which an efficient aircraft family didn’t exist until now. In other words, the industry is facing an acute equipment gap at the same time a relevant portion of the segment’s fleet is approaching the end of its economic operational life.

Satisfying intermediate market demand with 70- to 110- seat aircraft requires higher standards in performance, mission range and passenger comfort not currently found on today’s regional jets. As regional city pair frequencies reach their schedule limits, fully-booked, prime-time 50-seat RJ flights can often spill passengers. With a growing need to serve new long and thin markets, RJs are increasingly being pushed to build frequency in the drive to sustain revenue growth and market share. Longer distance missions require greater focus on cabin comfort, passenger amenities and baggage/cargo capacities similar to those of mainline jets. Like the large capacity narrow-body jet operators, regional airlines have few equipment options to serve emerging demand in the 70 to 110 seat market segment.

The logic behind the Rule of 70- to 110- is easy to understand. Put simply, the rule suggests that ideally, a carrier match aircraft capacity to passenger demand precisely. Currently, some flights don’t carry enough revenue passengers to cover operating costs. Yet other flights spill demand to competitors because aircraft are too small. Neither case is optimal.

The shifting market dynamics led Embraer to the principle of fleet capacity optimisation and the rule of 70- to 110-. Applied correctly, The rule helps airlines achieve operating efficiency without compromising performance or passenger comfort.

E-JETS AND RIGHT SIZING

The Embraer E-170, 175, 190, and 195 jets are a new-evolution family of aircraft, each engineered from the ground up to be comfortable, efficient and cost-effective. Embraer created a new platform specifically for the 70- to 110-seat segment. The 170/190 family offers high-end performance with spacious comfort only found on much larger mainline aircraft. The result is a remarkable combination of superior airfield performance, impressive range and low operating costs with the ability to carry customers in a cabin providing more personal and stowage space per passenger than some current main line equipment.

Now virtually every mission is possible such as short-range, high-frequency hub-and-spoke missions, medium-range flights to complement time-of-day peak and off-peak demand schedules and also new frequencies on long and thin markets to access cities beyond the usual catchment area. The 170/190 family fills the gap perfectly to blur the line between mainline and regional.

ATR FOR SHORT HAUL

ATR has become the benchmark for regional turboprop aircraft with sales exceeding 1,200 aircraft with over 180 operators in more than 90 countries. Every 12 seconds, an ATR takes off somewhere around the world. The ATR 42 with 48 to 50 seats configuration is the only Western aircraft in this class with an outstanding airfield performance. The typical configuration of 48 seats is at 30” pitch. The ATR 42 is the only 50-seater aircraft in production with a secured future. It is the right size and natural choice for both fragmented and niche markets.

The ATR 72 has capacities of 68 to 74 seats and 70 configuration comes at 30” pitch. It claims to have the lowest seat cost of all regional aircraft. The ATR 72 is recognised as the most cost-effective regional aircraft, positioning it as the industry reference to serve both low-cost/low yields environment.

The ATR 600 series is a large step forward in the regional transportation market. The aircraft brings new operational capability to the ATR family through outstanding performance at take-off on short runways, increased maximum payload reduced maintenance costs and redesigned cabin among other aspects. The new 600 series benefits from the widest cabin in the turboprop market, providing maximum passenger space and setting high standards of comfort. Bombardier’s CSeries family of aircraft is optimised for the longer range, single-aisle, 100- to 149-seat market and delivers the lowest operating cost in its class. The CSeries aircraft deliver a significant fuel burn advantage and exceptional widebody comfort. The second overwing exit option makes it possible to increase the maximum seat capacity of the CS-300 to 160 passengers. This option is specifically designed for airlines wanting to increase the productivity of their aircraft by going beyond145 passengers and driving seat mile costs even lower. Future markets will demand aircraft that have mainline range and performance, yet are nimble as regional jets.

For medium-haul applications, the CRJ NextGen family of aircraft is a benchmark for regional jet efficiency in the 60- to 99-seat segment, offering low operating costs, reduced environmental impact and enhanced cabin interiors. This family of aircraft offers an adaptable interior with flexible seating options to suit a variety of airline needs. The interiors can be customised for single-class seating or two-class seating including three abreast business class which will allow operators to offer seamless service to their mainline business class passengers. With over 1,600 CRJ aircraft delivered worldwide, Bombardier’s CRJ Series family of regional jets is recognised as the most successful regional aircraft programme in the world.

The Q400 NextGen aircraft of Bombardier are designed for short-haul routes. The 70- to 80-seat Q400 NextGen aircraft is a fast, quiet, fuel-efficient turboprop that delivers a perfect balance of passenger comfort and operating economics with a reduced environmental footprint.