European airlines received the largest slice of all the regional airliner deliveries last year, with the majority being regional jets. However, the revival of the propeller-driven airliner market remains strong, with turboprops making up 44% of regional airliner deliveries globally in 2010.
Data compiled by Flightglobal Insight using the ACAS database shows that 234 ATR, Bombardier and Embraer regional airliners were delivered to airline customers during 2010. Europe was the biggest single market, taking 50 jets and 31 turboprops. Of these 81 aircraft, 36 were Bombardiers, 39 were Embraers, and the remaining six ATRs.
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© BombardierEurope was the biggest single market in 2010, with Bombardier claiming 36 of the 81 aircraft delivered to airlines in the region |
Asia Pacific was the second largest market last year, adding 57 aircraft, of which over half (26) were ATR turboprops. Embraer was the next strongest competitor, delivering 23 E-Jets, while Bombardier shipped just eight units into the region.
JETS DOMINATE AMERICAS
Bombardier was dominant in the North American market (itself ranked fourth behind Latin America), delivering 28 of the 32 regional aircraft shipped to this region in 2010. The jet types dominated deliveries into both Americas markets (they had a 77% share in Latin America and 69% in North America), whereas turboprops were the propulsion of choice for 85% of 21 deliveries to African airlines.
Although in overall terms the regional jet remained the market leader in deliveries last year, the return to popularity of the turboprop continues. In 2010, the market percentage split was 56/44 in favour of the jet.
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Embraer edged out Bombardier in the battle for delivery honours, but the Canadian manufacturer was ahead in overall net orders, putting it slightly ahead of its rival in the backlog stakes. ACAS shows that the three regional aircraft manufacturers secured a total 250 net orders in 2010, compared with 117 the year before.
Bombardier's 95 net orders (a 38% market share) were slightly above Embraer's tally of 81. However, for the Brazilian airframer this was an improvement on 2009, when it suffered the cancellation of 25 ERJ-145s on order for its Harbin-Embraer plant in China and dragged down an already indifferent sales performance.
Although both regional aircraft categories enjoyed a strong year, the turnaround in the jet segment pushed sales above the turboprop types in 2010, reversing the situation of the year before.
ACAS lists the three Western regional manufacturers as holding firm orders (from airline customers) for just under 700 aircraft at the end of 2010. Bombardier held a slight advantage with a share of 38%, against 36% for its Brazilian rival. ATR was third on 26%.
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From a propulsion perspective, General Electric continued as market leader in the regional sector last year, powering just over half of all deliveries. GE is also dominant in the backlog stakes with a 52% share of the regional airliner sector (including Chinese/Russian types), where ACAS records firm orders for almost 190 of Comac's GE CF34-powered ARJ21 twinjet.
However, if the backlog for just the "big three" regional manufacturers is considered, then the strength of Pratt & Whitney Canada in the turboprop segment, combined with the growing success of the P&W PW1000G-powered Bombardier CSeries small airliner, means that the powerplant market is divided almost half and half between the two US aeroengine manufacturers.
Source: Flight International
