Regional airlines are holding on to their regional jets and will continue to take delivery of Bombardier CRJs and Embraer ERJs through the rest of this year, according to Tulinda Larson, managing director of Back Aviation Solutions. Larson told C/R News that while some delivery dates may be pushed back, "the likelihood is that they all will eventually be delivered." The biggest movement among the RJs at the end of 2002 was to buy 50-seat CRJ200s and ERJ145s, a trend that is continuing into the first quarter of 2003, with 28 CRJ 200s and nine ERJ145s being delivered during January and February. Larson said that Bombardier initially led the field because of it was first to market, but both programs have been "tremendously successful."

Despite the collapse of Fairchild Dornier early last year, one 328JET was delivered during the last quarter of 2002 to Welcome Air. However, the recently announced purchase of the 328JET program by AvCraft Aviation should start deliveries sometime during the second quarter of this year. AvCraft CEO Ben Bartel said that there are 18 completed aircraft ready for delivery within 60 days and that full-scale production can begin within the next few months. Larson noted that the 328JET has been "very successful and well accepted by the airlines that are operating them as a turboprop replacement," although the problem is that it is an "orphan aircraft" without a family of larger aircraft for an operator to grow into.

>>Contact: Tulinda Larson, BACK Aviation, Tele: 202-721-0231, e-mail: tlarson@backaviaiton.com<<