Regional jet manufactures look towards growth
Resembling a space rocket, with its pointed nose and the engines fixed to the back of the fuselage, the regional jet is perhaps the most beautiful airliner in the sky.
Regional jets became hugely popular during the late 1990s and early 2000s, especially in the US and Canada.
Initially, the market was dominated by rather small planes with no more than 50 seats.
These so-called "feeder planes" served one particular purpose: established airlines saw them as essential to bring bums into seats in their larger planes, which covered great distances between large airports.
"The whole point of the regional jet is the 'meat and potato' of getting people into the hub so they can fly elsewhere," explains Ben Boehm, vice president, programs, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.
Since then, the regional jets have grown larger, so these days they tend to seat between 70 and 110 people.
And as their slim fuselages have been stretched ever further their appearance has become ever more elegant.
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