BOEING AND AIRBUS WHAT NEXT
E-Jets E2 series of medium-range aircraft, the first of which will be delivered next year. ATR WORLD LEADER IN TURBOPROP. Toulouse, southern France-based turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR, is the world leader in the market for regional aircraft up to 90 seats. Established in November 1981, ATR is a joint partnership between two major European aeronautics players, Airbus and Leonardo. ATR has sold more than 1,500 aircraft and has over 200 operators in over 100 countries. Every eight seconds, an ATR turboprop takes off or lands somewhere around the world.
ATR manufactures two sizes of turboprop aircraft, the 70-seat ATR 72 and the 50-seat ATR 42. Both aircraft benefit from fuel, emissions and cost efficiencies provided by turboprop engines. ATR turboprops provide airlines with the best opportunities for operating short-haul routes at a low operating cost. Airlines servicing smaller markets desperately need more fuel efficientaircraft to continue operating regular flights between regional airports and to main airports and hubs. BOMBARDIER BENCHMARK IN REGIONAL JET EFFICIENCY. For medium-haul applications, the CRJ Series family of aircraft is the benchmark for regional jet efficiency in the 60- to 100-seat segment, offering up to a 10 per cent cash operating cost advantage, reduced environmental impact and enhanced cabin interiors. With over 1,900 CRJ Series aircraft ordered worldwide, Bombardier’s CRJ Series family of regional jets is recognised as the most successful regional aircraft programme in the world. The CRJ Series performance on reli- ability is over 99.5 per cent thanks to its mature systems and robust technology.
The CRJ Series shares commonality benefits from being an integrated family, providing flexibility to operators and allowing them to optimise their fleet to specific market demands. No other regional aircraft delivers this capability.
The Q400 offers the best of both worlds: able to either fly slower to minimise fuel burn or faster to maximise productivity. At lower speeds, it offers the same trip cost as competing turboprops, with up to 14 more seats. At higher speeds, the Q400 delivers over 30 per cent cost advantage compared to the jet aircraft it often replaces.
Simply put, the Q400 has the lowest fuel consumption per passenger of any turboprop in the industry, making it an efficient and greener option. On a 500 nautical mile journey, the Q400 consumes 3 litres of fuel per seat per 100 km, which is comparable to any other modern next-generation aircraft flying today. Inside and out, the Q400 has been continuously improved to make it the largest and most comfortable turboprop in the world. Passengers enjoy a quieter cabin thanks to the Q400’s unique Active Noise and Vibration Suppression system, which results in noise levels lower than those of some jets. MRJ CLEAN SHEET AND MORE. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet started with a clean sheet and ended up with a new benchmark. It began with a goal—to change the way the world thinks about regional aviation. It is designed to incorporate superior technology and passenger comfort and engineered to achieve the lowest operational cost and lowest environmental impact. MRJ states that it
will change the way passengers fly and it is better for passengers, the environment and airlines. It promises to be the most efficient, comfortable and reliable 70- and 90-seat jets to ever take flight.
It also claims that it is the lowest cost to operate of any aircraft in its class. MRJ is powered by Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower Geared Turbofan engine which was optimised specifically for the MRJ. The new gear system allows the fan, low pressure compressor and turbine to rotate at optimum speeds which enables engine to have game-changing fuel efficiency. In addition, its Geared Turbofan engine architecture requires 60 per cent fewer turbine airfoils than conventional turbofan engines and reduces maintenance time and cost. SUKHOI SUPERJET 100 OPTIMISED DESIGN. SSJ100 from Sukhoi is the first airliner in which engine and airframe have been designed together to optimise performance. The SSJ100 – a fusion of Russia’s famed aviation design and production skills with the latest systems from leading aerospace suppliers around the world – offers standards of economy, performance, environmental efficiency and passenger comfort never before seen in a 100-seat airliner.
The SSJ100 aircraft entered into commercial operation mid2011. Up until March 2016, it had delivered 78 SSJ100’s. To date more than 1,50,000 flight hours and more than 1,05,000 flight cycles have been accumulated worldwide by the SSJ100 flying fleet. In 2012 the SSJ100 achieved the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certificate. The aircraft is also certified by Russian IAC AR as well as by Indonesian, Laos and Mexican Civil Aviation Authorities. In January 2016, the SSJ100 was Cat IIIA certified by EASA. Its order book stands at 154. THE ‘FLYING PHOENIX’ FROM CHINA — ARJ21. The Comac ARJ21 Xiangfeng which means ‘ flying Phoenix’ is a twin-engined regional jet, manufactured by the Chinese aerospace company Comac. On November 29, 2015, Comac delivered the first ARJ21-700 to Chengdu Airlines. The first commercial flight took off from Chengdu Shuangliu Airport on June 28, 2016, landing in Shanghai two hours later, one day after its commercial flight was approved by the CAAC. Different sources claim the ARJ21 closely resembles either the McDonnel Douglas MD-80 or the MD-90 which were licence-produced in China. Chinese factories producing parts for the MD-90 went on to produce the ARJ21 using tooling retained after the end of the MD-80/MD-90 licensed production programme, however, China claims that the ARJ21 is a completely indigenous design.
The regional aviation market is abuzz with turboprop and jets and there is considerable traction for the emerging players as they see opportunity in many markets which are networking their domestic destinations like never before..
ATR TURBOPROPS PROVIDE AIRLINES WITH THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR OPERATING SHORT-HAUL ROUTES AT A LOW OPERATING COST