Premium #212 – The Future of the Regional Airline Market in the United States

Perhaps no sector in the US aviation market has undergone as dramatic change as the regional airline sector.

If we examine what US regional airlines looked like it 1990 and compare them with what they look like today, the difference is striking.  The trend is towards larger and more capable aircraft, longer stage lengths, and higher load factors which have changed the nature of the regional airline industry.  What was once a large collection of airlines operating “puddle jumpers” has evolved into sophisticated operations, including one regional carrier now classified as a major in the US.