The world of regional jets

Commonality and a family approach are characteristic of the latest regional jets developed or under development by Fairchild Dornier, Bombardier, and Embraer.

With a market that shows promise, three regional jet manufacturers-Fairchild Dornier, Bombardier Aerospace, and Embraer-have placed themselves in an intense competition to meet new market demands in the 70- to 110-seat category. These aircraft will enable regional carriers to replace older small commercial aircraft such as first-generation Boeing 737s, DC-9s, and Fokker 100s.

All three manufacturers have approached this market in a similar fashion, developing a family of aircraft that can take full advantage of simplistic design and increased commonality to reduce development, production, maintenance, and training costs. With more commonality, certification becomes easier as well as less expensive. This approach also enables manufacturers to take advantage of common tooling and production processes.