Page 20 - AAA SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2012 Online Magazine

FEATURE TURBOPROPS

Turbine Times

With a highly dispersed population, a wide range of
airport facility capabilities, lots of short-haul routes
and cash-strapped passengers, Asia could be seen
as a problem area for airline operators. But one class
of aircraft – the turboprop – is proving that all these
hurdles can be overcome to offer a viable business
model. By Neelam Mathews

As AsiAn skies open And more aircraft to retire, resulting in a positive
secondary airports with short runways impact on the demand for new turboprop
are developed, the need for propeller- aircraft over the next 20 years.
driven turboprops is being recognised.
With low buy-in and maintenance costs, The situation
high usage rates, low running costs As the aviation market becomes
and small-airfield landing capability, increasingly segmented, turboprop
turboprops look like the perfect solution aircraft now represent 80% of the order
to Asia’s dispersed yet large population. book for planes with up to 90 seats,
They offer convenience, tested technology a massive proportion. regional jets
and environmental acceptance, which all have much higher operating costs than
make them perfect for Asia’s scattered propeller-driven aircraft, and their sales
and airport-sparse environment. are progressively focusing on higher-
John moore, Head of sales for ATr capacity models.
regional Aircraft asserts that turboprop With fuel prices showing no respite,
aircraft are in strong demand, as airlines the airline industry has started to move
around the world seek to increase their towards the purchase of larger, more
short-haul services while reducing efficient regional aircraft, whether jets or
operating costs. ATr’s Ceo, Filippo turboprops. The decision by embraer not
Bagnato, agrees. “not only is the number to re-enter the turboprop sector probably
of operators on the rise, but the average is a relief to the present market leaders –
size of their [turboprop] fleets is also ATr and Bombardier – that they will not
continually growing. Airlines operating suffer from having to face excess supply
in highly buoyant markets such as Brazil, rather than demand.
indonesia and russia are currently in addition, increases in fuel prices
developing their short-haul routes that makes jet operations unviable on
around the operational benefits that certain routes has made Lion Air open to
[these] aircraft bring,” he says. the idea of ATr’s fuel-efficient turboprop
Today, these aircraft are the ideal aircraft, the new-generation turboprop
complement to a fleet for airlines (nGTp) that will seat up to 98 passengers.
operating medium-haul routes, flying to new bigger aircraft with new engines
hubs and opening up regions which have will result in the cost per available seat
up to now been little or poorly served, kilometre (Ask) dropping to lower than
says Bagnato. Technical obsolescence, previous models. Bombardier too is
cost inefficiencies and age will also drive considering whether or not it should
20 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2012 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM