Regional jet

For the airline operator, see Regional Jet (airline).

By October 2018, 1,800 Canadair Regional Jets have been delivered

The Sud Aviation Caravelle was introduced in 1959

The Yakovlev Yak-40 was introduced in 1968

The Fokker F-28 was introduced in 1969 and was followed by the stretched Fokker 100 in 1988 and its Fokker 70 shrink in 1994

A regional jet (RJ) is a jet airliner and a regional airliner with less than 100 seats. The first one was the Sud-Aviation Caravelle in 1959, followed by the widespread Yakovlev Yak-40, Fokker F-28 and BAe 146. The 1990s saw the emergence of the most widespread Canadair Regional Jet and its Embraer Regional Jet counterpart, then the larger Embraer E-Jet and multiple competing projects. In the US, they are limited in size by scope clauses.

Definition

Regional Jet is an industry jargon and not a regulatory category. Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University defines the regional jet as up to 100-seats capacity. This is also the limit capacity for two flight attendants. FlightGlobal sort the 66-146 seats Embraer E-Jet/E2 as a regional aircraft, but the 116–141 seats Airbus A220 (ex Bombardier CSeries) as a mainline airliner.

Regional Jet is used in the name of multiple airliners:

• the 50 seat Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-100/200 was introduced in 1992 and evolved from 2001 in the 70–100 seats CRJ700/900/1000;
• the 70–112 seats BAe 146 was renamed as the Avro Regional Jet in 1993;
• the 34–50 seat Embraer Regional Jet ERJ-135/140/145 had a 1996 service entry;
• the later 66–124 seats Embraer E-Jet, introduced in 2004, still carries the ERJ type certificate name;
• the 98 seats Sukhoi Superjet 100, introduced in 2011, was initially known as the Russian regional jet, and is still called RRJ-95 in its type certificate;
• the 78–98 seats Comac ARJ21, with a 2016 service entry, stands for Advanced Regional Jet;
• the 78–92 seats Mitsubishi Regional Jet should begin commercial service in 2020.

The scope clauses, limiting the aircraft size and number in US regional airlines, is often a design point for regional jets. Since 2012, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines cap their regional airlines' jets at 76 seats and maximum take-off weight at 86,000 lb (39 t).

These aircraft are widely used by commuter airlines such as SkyWest and American Eagle. The low rate of fuel consumption, which translates to low cost of operation, makes regional jets ideal for use as commuter aircraft or to connect lower traffic airports to large or medium hub airports. Regional jets are heavily used in the US Essential Air Service program.

History

1960s–1970s

In 1959 was introduced the Sud Aviation Caravelle (80–140 seats), ordered by Flag Carriers, the first purpose-built short-haul jetliner, a twin turbojet design for inter-European routes. The Caravelle used the forward fuselage nose section of the de Havilland Comet, the first commercial jetliner, not effective for continental-European flights. The BAC One-Eleven (89–119 seats) was then introduced in 1965.

In 1968, Aeroflot introduced the 32 seat Yakovlev Yak-40 and the 65–85 seats Fokker F28 Fellowship was introduced in 1969. In 1975, the 40–44 seats VFW-Fokker 614 saw service entry with its distinctive overwing engines, 19 were built. Some business jets like the British Aerospace 125 (first delivery: 1964) and Dassault Falcon 20 (1965) were operated by small airlines from the 1960s, and the small Aerospatiale Corvette (1974) was used as a regional airliner from the 1970s.

1980s

The Bae 146 started service in May 1983

In 1978, the US Airline Deregulation Act led to route liberalization, favouring small airliners demand. US passengers were disappointed by these, lacking aircraft lavatories or flight attendants of larger jet aircraft. As feeder routes grew, regional airlines replaced these small aircraft with larger turboprop airliners to feed larger airline hubs. These medium airliners were then supplanted by faster, longer range, regional jets like the first Bombardier CRJ100/200. Early small jets had higher operating costs than turboprops on short routes. The gap narrowed with better turbofans, and closed with the higher utilization due to higher speeds.

In 1983 British Aerospace introduced its BAe 146 short-range jet, produced in three sizes between 70 and 112 seats: the −100, −200 and the largest −300, later renamed the Avro Regional Jet. Low aircraft noise and short takeoffs were suited to city-center to city-center service, a small market niche, like the de Havilland Canada Dash 7, but four engines led to higher maintenance costs than twin-engine designs and BAe did not produce a lower operating cost twin-engine design, unlike the Dash 8.

In 1988 was introduced the 97–122 seats Fokker 100, a stretched F28, followed by the shorter, 72–85 seats Fokker 70 in 1994.

1990s

The Bombardier CRJ-100 was introduced in 1992 and was stretched in the CRJ700 series

The Embraer ERJ family began in April 1997

Low fuel prices drove the development of the regional jet: in the '90s oil prices were around $10–20 per barrel. Turboprop manufacturers wanted to develop their portfolio. Canadair's purchase by Bombardier in 1986 enabled a 50-seat stretched development of its Challenger business jet, green-lighted by then chief executive Laurent Beaudoin in March 1989. The first Bombardier four-abreast Canadair Regional Jet was delivered in October 1992 to Lufthansa CityLine.

Embraer then developed the 50-seat three-abreast ERJ 145 from the EMB-120 Brasilia turboprop, which was introduced in December 1996. They replaced the turboprops thanks to their better perceived image and larger range. On small-capacity long routes, they could offer a better service by increasing frequencies at a smaller capacity and could replace mainline jet airliners like McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and Boeing 737s. They can be used for direct airport-to-airport flights, to the detriment of the hub-and-spoke model.

Since 1999, the Fairchild Dornier 328JET was also competing but the type did not enter large scale production as Fairchild Dornier went bankrupt, also ending the larger Fairchild Dornier 728 family development. The CRJ/ERJ also resulted in the end of the BAe 146 line.

The CRJ and ERJ success also played a minor part in the failure of Fokker, whose Fokker 100 found itself squeezed on both sides by new models of the Boeing 737 and Airbus A319 on the "large" side and the RJs on the "small side". On 5 February 1996, Bombardier started looking at a takeover of a struggling Fokker, producer of the Fokker 100 100-seater. After evaluating Fokker's opportunities and challenges, Bombardier dropped the prospect on 27 February. Bombardier was feeling that the 100-seat market was already saturated by designs like the A319, a decision that looked foolish with the successful introduction of the E-Jets.

2000s

The Embraer E-Jet family was introduced in 2004 and was followed by the E-Jet E2

The share of US domestic flying by 32 to 100 seats regional jets grew to one-third from 2000 to 2005, as network carriers subcontracted low-volume routes to cheaper commuter airlines with smaller planes. Amid regional jet usage saturation, bankruptcy of regional airlines and shrinking of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, cramped 50-seaters were evolving to more spacious 70–100 seaters, limited by union rules.

In late 2005, Bombardier suspended its CRJ-200 production line.

Between 2000 through 2006, 385 large planes were grounded while 1,029 regional jets were added. By June 2007, nearly a third of US domestic flights on major airlines were late, as using more smaller jets led to more crowded skies and runways in an already saturated system.

US major carriers high pilots' wages led them to subcontract flights to regional airlines with lower labor costs. Pilot unions then demanded to regulate subcontracted aircraft size to a 50 seats maximum scope clause. In turn, large routes were served by suboptimal 50-seat jets which accelerated demand for those types in North America. Embraer envisioned a market for more than 500 aircraft and planned to produce up to 80 a year, but at peak delivered 157 ERJs in 2000 while Bombardier delivered 155 CRJs in 2003.

After 9/11, high fuel prices returned and jets had to grow to keep seat-mile costs down. Airlines renegotiated scope clause limits to 70-seat jets as the market consolidates. Larger aircraft came back on regional routes for their efficiency and on short routes turboprops don't lose too much time for a lower cost, reversing the 1990s trend. Bombardier delivered its last 50-seat CRJ in 2006 and Embraer its last ERJ in 2011.

Bombardier switched to its lengthened 70- to 100-seat CRJ700/900/1000, while Embraer launched the four-abreast E-Jet170/175/190/195. 50 seats jets demand is lower with high fuel prices, and it reflects on a lower market value. A majority of them will be scrapped.

Bombardier and Embraer have been locked in a series of counter-lawsuits over export taxes and subsidies. The ERJ's success led to a totally new version, the Embraer E-Jets series.

Although not as economical as the turboprop, by flying directly to and from smaller airports, they reduced the need for low-cost regional airliners.

Introduced in 2009, the Antonov An-148 has been successfully certified and tested and the production has started with three machines already built. Most of the orders are from post-Soviet markets and the Middle East, for European markets are still fairly hesitant to adopt aircraft from the former Soviet Union.

2010s

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 was introduced in 2011

The Sukhoi Superjet 100, a 60 to 95-seat jet developed by the Russian aerospace firm Sukhoi with assistance of Ilyushin and Boeing was introduced in 2011.

Bombardier developed a larger aircraft, the CSeries. However, because of the anti-dumping petition from Boeing giving the CSeries a 300% tariff from the US Department of Commerce, Bombardier was forced to give 50.01% of stake for free. The company who took the stake was Airbus Aviation Industries, which, in July 2018, renamed the CSeries to the Airbus A220.

Many CRJ100/200 were retired since 2003 and in 2013 the first Embraer ERJ were disassembled: 50-seaters value was dwindling down as US carriers were dropping them. The ERJ retirements could be exacerbated because Rolls-Royce plc restricts parts choice, making engine maintenance more expensive, but its TotalCare agreements provide cost predictability.

In 2017, Embraer started calling large, almost narrowbody regional jets "crossover" jets, for the Embraer E-Jet E2 and the CSeries. While those rival the A320neo, the smaller MRJ and SSJ100 could be stretched. They are often the largest airliners which can access City Airports like London City Airport, benefiting from their longer range and lower fuel burn to open new markets while making lower noise for better local community acceptance.

In 2019, after attempting to renegotiate scope clauses, United Airlines ultimately decided to order fifty CRJs for its regional affiliates; the aircraft will be sourced from existing CRJ700 airframes and reconfigured with 50 seats in three classes. Bombardier will recertify the aircraft as the CRJ550 model, with a lower MTOW to comply with the scope clauses, and hopes to sell this new configuration to replace up to 700 existing 50-seaters with US regional airlines.

Operations

Costs

A smaller airplane is more costly per seat mile than a larger plane, but it mostly depends on the airline: in 2005, Bombardier was estimating regional jet costs at 9 to 10 US cents per seat mile while flying a Boeing 737s costs less than 8 cents per seat mile at Southwest Airlines but 15 cents at Continental Airlines.

Routes

While designed primarily for medium stage lengths, regional jets may now be found supplementing major trunk routes alongside traditional larger jet aircraft. RJs allow airlines to open new "long, thin" routings with jet equipment which heretofore did not exist, such as Atlanta to Monterrey, Nuevo León. RJs have also meant a return of jet service to cities where full-size jet service had departed over a decade ago, such as Macon, Georgia, and Brownsville, Texas.

The idea that regional jets would provide point-to-point service and bypass the hub-and-spoke system may not be materializing as it was expected. As of January 2003, 90% of all regional jet flights in the United States had a hub or major airport at one end of that flight, and this number has been gradually increasing since 1995.

Models

Model	Seats	Seats /Row	Intro.	Prod. end	Built	State	Serving	Orders
Sud Aviation Caravelle	80–140	5	1959	1972	282		0
Yakovlev Yak-40	32	4	1968	1981	1011		22
Fokker F28 Fellowship	55–70	5	1969	1987	241		1
VFW-Fokker 614	40–44	4	1975	1977	19		0
BAe 146/Avro RJ	70–112	5	1983	2001	387		118
Fokker 100	97–122	5	1988	1997	283		109
Bombardier CRJ100/200	50	4	1992	2006	1021		498
Fokker 70	72–85	5	1994	1997	48		23
Embraer ERJ family	37–50	3	1997	in prod.	1213		505	0
Fairchild-Dornier 328JET	30–33	3	1999	2004	110		11
Bombardier CRJ700/900/1000	66–104	4	2001	in prod.	822		777	54
Embraer E-Jet family	66–124	4	2004	in prod.	1414		1346	133
Antonov An-148	68–99	5	2009	in prod.	42		7	1
Sukhoi Superjet 100	87–108	5	2011	in prod.	159		114	27
Comac ARJ21	78–105	5	2016	in prod.	9		5	103
Embraer E-Jet E2 family	80–146	4	2018	in prod.	8		3	153
Mitsubishi SpaceJet family (MRJ)	69–92	4	2020 (est)	in prod.	4		0	203

Competition

Graphical comparison between aircraft, based on the number of seats.

Deliveries (Orders)

Year	ARJ21	CRJ700	E-Jet	MRJ-70	Superjet 100	An-148
2009	(55)	503(619)	582(877)	(65)	(122)	1(50)
2010	(87)	576(649)	671(916)	(15)	(137)	5(72)
2011	(189)	593(654)	770(1018)	(15)	3(168)	(180)
2012
2013	(252)	636(725)	966(1212)	(165)	23(229)

See also

• Competition in the Regional jet market
• List of regional airliners
• List of aircraft
• Regional airliner

External links

• Mike Lewis (September 26, 2006). "Regional Aircraft ... The Way Forward" (PDF). Bombardier.
• "The 50-Seat Jet: A Plane With No Future. Think again!" (PDF). Oliver Wyman. 2010.
• Bombardier (June 19, 2017). "The Rise and Rise of Regional Aircraft". Aviation Week.