Coming Aircraft Technologies Will Redesign Landscape

It is likely that the technology coming for regional and narrowbody aircraft, will change the manufacturing landscape, according to two experts who spoke before the New Market Opportunities, Aviation Today Webinar, last week. In addition, Richard Aboulafia, vice president-analysis, The Teal Group and Michel Meriuzeau, director-military and commercial airborne systems, for the Aerospace and Defense Group of Frost and Sullivan, indicated that it is far from clear that regionals will get more routes from their major partners. The two predicted there will be a sales slump around 2010/11 as the advances coming in the 2013/14 time frame cause regionals to wait the next generation aircraft that promise to produce significant technological advancements. They also doubted Very Light Jets will be the answer to the erosion of small community air service. For a complete report on the wide-ranging webinar, see the Febuary 12 issue of Regional Aviation News.