The 30- to 50-seat regional jets prevalent in the past were overtaken by higher-capacity planes like the Bombardier CRJ700/900 and Embraer 170/190. But even these aircraft are now being challenged for market share by newer models, some of which are faster, more comfortable and larger.

Think of ‘regional aircraft’, and a small, slow-flying, Spartan plane, good only for shorthaul routes, probably comes to mind. But this may have been true till a decade or so back. The 30- to 50-seat regional jets prevalent in the past are now in terminal decline. They were overtaken by higher-capacity planes like the Bombardier CRJ700/900 and Embraer 170/190 which continue to taste some success. However, even these aircraft are now being challenged for market share by newer models, some of which are faster, more comfortable and larger. And the lines separating regional jets from regular narrow-body jets continue to blur.

In the United States, the world’s foremost fan of regional aviation, more than 13,000 regional flights operate every day, constituting over 50 per cent of the nation’s commercial schedule. But its regional airlines seem stuck with too many 50-seaters and are in critical need of larger planes. This applies to many other parts of the world as well. What better way to remedy the situation than to induct Bombardier’s largest regional jet, the CRJ1000 NextGen.

Generation Next

The Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen is the newest member of the distinguished aircraft family that pioneered regional jet services in 1992. The 100-seat aircraft made an impressive entry into service last December. With 13 CRJ1000s currently being operated by Brit Air and Air Nostrum, the fleet has achieved a 99.4 per cent dispatch reliability rate and 99.9 schedule completion rate. Introduced specifically to meet the needs of growing regional airlines for jets of up to 100 seats, the new model claims to offer improved cabin comfort and 14 per cent reduction in operating costs as compared to its competition. It also features a new fly-by-wire rudder system, new technology carbon brakes and larger forward and aft baggage compartments. Powered by twin General Electric CF34-8C5A1 engines, each producing a maximum thrust of 64.5 kN (14,510 lb), this plane is the “greenest” member of the CRJ family. In a typical 500 nautical mile mission, it consumes as little as 3.33 litres of fuel every 100 kilometres per seat—four per cent lower than initially projected.

The CRJ1000 NextGen should appeal to the regional airline industry as an ideal solution for medium-haul requirements. It might even serve as a replacement for older-generation, narrow-body jets, where demand is not too strong. Bombardier currently has orders for 49 CRJ1000s with 36 more on backlog. And it already faces competition from a new source—Russia.

In an industry dominated by Western aviation firms, a Russian airliner rarely makes a splash, but Sukhoi hopes to change all that. The Sukhoi Superjet SSJ100-95 is a modern, fly-by-wire, regional twin-jet capable of carrying 75 to 98 passengers up to a range of 4,400 kilometres. It is the first allnew airliner Russia has built since the fall of the Soviet Union, and designed to meet stringent Western standards. Is it as quiet, calm and comfortable as regional aircraft produced by market leaders like Bombardier of Canada and Embraer of Brazil? The Russians say it is. It also aims to substantially lower the operating costs. With over 300 orders secured by early 2011, this is being described as the most important civil aircraft programme of the Russian aerospace industry. It has international pedigree too, since it has been developed with the assistance of Boeing and Ilyushin and is powered by the SaM146 turbofan produced by Powerjet, a Franco-Russian joint venture set up by NPO Saturn and Snecma. The Power-Jet SaM146 engine produces 60 to 78 kN (13,500 to 17,500 lb) thrust. The airliner may eventually get a larger sibling, possibly with up to 130 seats, but not until its current slightly heavy version loses some weight.

The Sukhoi Superjet 100, incidentally, is the first of the four all-new regional twinjets heralding a bright age of superefficient aircraft which cut fuel consumption and maintenance costs significantly, compared to the existing types. Unsurprisingly, they also signal an impending eastward shift in aircraft manufacture. The other offerings are, firstly, the Chinese Comac ARJ21 powered by the specially developed GE CF34-10A engine, with thrust of 17,057 lb. The baseline ARJ21, with a capacity of 70 to 95 passengers, is expected to make a delayed entry into service, a few months from now. Then there’s the Bombardier C Series regional jet, expected to enter service in 2013. Its CS100 version with 110 to 125 seats will use the PW15000G producing 21,000 lb thrust while the CS300 that will take 130 to 145 passengers will have the same engine rated at 23,300 lb thrust. Bringing up the rear is the Japanese Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), scheduled for entry into service in 2014. The 70- to 80-seat MRJ 70 has chosen Pratt & Whitney’s new fuel-efficient PW1200G geared turbofan (GTF) engine rated at 15,600 lb thrust, while its larger sibling, the 86- to 96-seat MRJ 90, will have the same engine rated at 17,600 lb.