BAE Systems regional jets are instantly recognisable around the world, but increasingly the used aircraft are finding new homes in corporate or VIP configuration.
The UK company is at the show to promote products, in particular the BAe 146/Avro RJ jetliner and Jetstream 41 turboprop.
Located on stand 310, the company is outlining the advantages of converting and operating a pre-owned aircraft to meet a variety of market requirements.
Andy Whelan, who is leading the BAE Systems team at EBACE, says: “Although we are active in a number of countries, we particularly see eastern Europe and the Middle East as emerging markets for our regional aircraft products in a variety of roles.”
Although originally designed as a regional jetliner, the BAe 146/Avro RJ has many attributes that make it suitable for use in niche markets. There are 18 aircraft in corporate or VIP use across the world, with three of those placed during 2006. Regional Aircraft is in discussions with a further two potential operators for the aircraft in an executive role, which it is dubbing the Avro Business Jet (ABJ).
The ABJ is aimed at a specialist sector of the corporate/VIP aviation market. It combines an airliner-size cabin for the price of a mid-size business jet and claims to offer unmatched airfield performance, allowing access to some of the most difficult and remote airfields in the world.
“Few business jets can match this aircraft’s combination of range, airfield performance, cabin size, and value for money,” says Whelan.
Whelan argues that there is a market opportunity to replace many ageing second-generation airliners such as the BAC One-Eleven, Tupolev Tu-134, Yakovlev Yak-40 and Yak-42 that are used in VIP and executive aviation. “These aircraft are becoming increasingly more difficult to support and are invariably noisy when compared with the BAe 146/Avro RJ, which is expected to be fully Stage 4 noise compliant,” Whelan says.
The Jetstream 41 turboprop, which is normally operated as a 29-seat feederliner, can also be converted into a variety of different interior configurations, and is seen by BAE Systems to have great potential as a 14-seat executive aircraft.
* Eastern Skyjets of Dubai has leased a Jetstream 41 for charter work in the Gulf and the Middle East
Source: FlightGlobal.com
