Sky high fuel prices will continue to make regional turboprop and jet aircraft attractive to operators anxious to drive down cost, says Bombardier.
The manufacturer outlined its positive outlook at a media briefing in Belfast today (1 May), ahead of the Paris Air Show and attended by a galaxy of top management from Canada and US.
”We have shown double digit growth for 20 years which is really remarkable,” said Bombardier president, regional aircraft Stephen Ridolfi, ”but the fact is that margins and yield continue to come under pressure.
”We are seeing fuel prices jump to a new plateau but we have witnessed regional airline traffic grow 11%, which is a real testament to carrier ingenuity.”
Ridolfi highlighted how major airlines frequently outsource thinner routes to regional carriers, so much so that the same regionals often become majors in their own right, but with a lower seat mile cost.
”At the beginning nobody thought that turboprops would be a success, but they have really changed the way that cities are connected to the main hubs,” added Ridolfi. ”Market pressure will not go away and it”s not just fuel burn that”s an issue, it”s carbon and emission taxes ” that is good for regional airlines and that is why we are so bullish ” we believe we have changed the way the world flies.”
Ridolphi specifically singled out Bombardier”s CRJ and Q400 aircraft as proof of the regional success story, claiming that the latest CRJ1000 operated at ”the lowest cost in its class.” And the regional aircraft president maintained that the Q400 was leading ”a turboprop renaissance” with the possibility of the aircraft stretching to 90 seats.