Prosperity in the face of challenge

This article examines trends and issues in the regional aircraft industry through the eyes of Aerospace Congress & Exhibition (ACE) host company Bombardier Aerospace. It also takes a look at ACE, which addresses topics such as aviation safety, manufacturing; automated fastening, and aircraft design.

The regional aircraft industry has seen a bit of a growth spurt post 9/11. In fact, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), regional jets will lead the recovery in commercial passenger traffic over the next decade. Regional airlines are more flexible than major airlines in response to rapidly changing industry conditions, providing them with the unique ability to service a wide variety of market types, both efficiently and effectively.

John Holding, the Executive Vice President of Engineering and Product Development for Bombardier Aerospace who is serving as Executive Chair for the 2003 Aerospace Congress & Exhibition (see sidebar on next page), has witnessed the shift in market since 9/11. “There's been a tendency for airlines to migrate to smaller, more efficient aircraft-to transfer routes to their regional subsidiaries,” he said. “We've seen a significant decline in the traffic, and the regionals seem to be maintaining-if not increasing-their revenue on passenger volumes since 9/11.”