As the global economy slows and sales of current-generation regional jets reach a plateau, new designs conceived during the height of the regional-jet spending spree stand ready to vie for market acceptance at a time when ambivalence prevails throughout the industry. For the first time in recent memory, explicit evidence of a lull in demand for regional airplanes has surfaced, as this year’s orders lag behind the record rate of last year and one of the big regional-jet manufacturers prepares to curb production output.
But despite the apparent slowdown, other factors stand to cushion the blow to the regional sector in particular. For one, the strain on the world’s air-transportation system caused by capacity saturation continues to present a long-term challenge to governments and operators alike. As runway and airway capacity dwindles, manufacturers surmise, regional airline growth must come from larger airplanes and longer stage lengths rather than more frequency. In fact, some argue that an economic slump will encourage major carriers to “outsource” more flying to their regional affiliates or directly replace their marginally economic single-aisle models with still smaller airplanes, creating newfound demand for larger, new-generation regional jets.
