As you’ll see in this issue, there are still plenty of good reasons for regional airlines to continue operating Tuboprop aircraft. Low operating costs, the ability to use short takeoff and landing runways, and lighter engines with fewer moving parts than comparable jets all make a sound business case for continuing to use this technology. Unfortunately, customers don’t think so.
There’s something about propellers that drives passengers into a rosary-counting frenzy. Is it because we (falsely) associate open-air fans with the old piston engines of pre-war aircraft? Or is it because they add noise and vibration to the cabin? Perhaps it’s because propellers are a visible sign of how the plane stays in the air.
Safran and GE’s RISE project (covered elsewhere in this issue) shows that modern open rotor designs have a real-world need. Designed with the world’s largest supercomputer, the new engine appears to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by double-digit percent. “This is the kind of money we can’t just leave on the table,” joked one CFM executive.
Whatever the reason, I suggest it’s time to create a Propeller Pa that explains to customers that propellers are safe and efficient for short distance travel.
Meanwhile, modern jet engines give LCCs the option to fly long distances. Consider Wizz Air’s announcement that it will fly from London or Milan to destinations across the Middle East at one-third the cost of incumbent airlines. Traveling such distances distinguishes the nature and operation of low-cost airlines compared to regional airlines… But time will tell whether passengers will tolerate Wizz’s famous bolt-upright seats for an eight-hour flight.