Back to propellers

When booking a flight on Alaska Air a month or so ago, I noticed that turboprops seem to be becoming more common. With the cost of fuel going up and environment concerns also coming into play, we may see even more of these. Supposedly these planes result in 30% less fuel consumption than jets on shorter routes.

MSNBC had more to say on this topic:

The 50-seat jet has become a financial albatross on many routes. On shorter trips, a jet's operational advantages quickly disappear. A jet uses large amounts of fuel on its departure "climb out" and works best financially when it's able to reach thin-air altitudes above 30,000 feet, zipping along at a normal cruise speed of 500 mph to 530 mph with a full payload. Regional jets work well on routes such as Los Angeles to San Francisco, Chicago to Dallas, Atlanta to Denver.

Shorten the route, though—and triple the price of fuel—and a new-generation, large turboprop starts making a lot more sense.

Now planes are reverting to propellers and airlines are flying slower. What do you think the airline industry will look like in 5 years?

Comments

Actually, the Dash 8-400 which Alaska flies (through its subsidiary Horizon) flies at near-jet speeds. It is not only one of the fastest turboprops, but also one of the most fuel efficient, making it a favourite with airlines. Passengers love it too, because it's the 400Q, with 'Q' standing for "quiet." Various technologies keep the noise down in the Dash 8-400 cabin. Finally, the Dash 8-400 is made in Canada.

I'd heard before about the Q for quiet bit, but does quiet mean jet-like noise levels in the cabin or is it quieter? My understanding is that one of the reasons that passengers tended to prefer jets over turboprops was due to the noise level.

You're right about the comparative speed of the Q400 thought.

Turboprops have been in use on short-haul routes for many years already. In places like Yellowknife and Whitehorse, all airplanes are turboprop.

I flew on a Dash 8-100 a few years ago and it didn't seem all that much louder than a jet.

Turboprops have been in use on short-haul routes for many years already. In places like Yellowknife and Whitehorse, all airplanes are turboprop.

They've been around at smaller airports but haven't seen much use at the larger ones. The change that I was referring to here is with airlines like Alaska's Horizon subsidiaries getting rid of all their regional jets and replacing them with turboprops.