Many passengers might prefer not to fly regional jets. But they have little choice

Regional jets are despised by many passengers. They’re uncomfortable and cramped, with little space for both carry-on luggage and people. Although their use is on the decline, for many routes, there’s little choice but to fly them.

The smaller jets have been getting attention due to two high-profile crashes in recent weeks – the Delta Air Lines-branded flight that flipped over and burst into flames Monday upon landing in Toronto, and the fatal collision of a US Army helicopter with an American Airlines-branded regional jet on approach at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last month.

Investigations into the causes of the two crashes are just beginning, so it’s too soon to say what was responsible. The crew in the Delta flight in Toronto got all 76 passengers out of the upside-down plane quickly and safely after the crash amid flames.

Even before the crashes, smaller jets were not popular with passengers and airlines already know it. When United Airlines placed a large order of full-sized narrow-body jets from Boeing and Airbus in June 2021, United CEO Scott Kirby said a major reason for the purchase was to try to greatly reduce the use of regional jets, which he said “customers dislike.”

But that doesn’t mean they’re inherently more dangerous than any other commercial jet.

“The seats have less leg room, and there’s less recline. No question about that, it’s not as comfortable an environment,” airline consultant Mike Boyd told CNN on Tuesday. “But they’re going to be as safe as any larger airplane. And while some passengers might not like them, many people don’t notice. They get on them and go.”

Regional jets are a large share of US flights

Regional jets are a significant part of the networks of three major US airlines – United, American and Delta. They are typically operated by a separate “feeder” airline company flying under the name of one of the major carriers. The staff of the feeder airlines are lower paid and get fewer benefits than the employees at mainline carriers, even when the feeder airline is a wholly owned subsidiary of the major airline, as is the case at Endeavor Air, the Delta subsidiary that was operating the flight that crashed in Toronto. Passengers booking flights might not notice they’re not on a jet operated by their named carrier unless they read the fine print.

But they’re a significant part of the airborne ecosystem, making flights that the airlines have decided don’t make economic sense to serve with full-size jets. About 31% of all flights flown by US airlines were flown by regional carriers in 2023, down from 46% in 2014, according to the most recent data from the Regional Airlines Association. Because planes are smaller, however, they only make up about 14% of the number of seats flown, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

For many flyers, those seats are their only choice. About 67% of US airports are served only by regional airlines, according to the RAA, while its data shows the mainline operations of airlines using full-size jets only reach 37% of US airports. There are 18 states in which at least half of the air service is provided by regional carriers, according to RAA.

And many of these flights are just as long, if not longer than flights flown by larger jets. About 13% of US regional jet flights this year will be over 1,000 miles, according to Cirium. The Wichita, Kansas-to-Washington, DC flight that crashed just before its scheduled landing had flown more than 1,100 miles, and the Minneapolis-to-Toronto flight that crashed Monday had flown 678 miles. There are regional flights from Houston to Portland, Maine, and from Minneapolis to San Francisco that are more than 1,500 miles.

And while smaller jets are often used to connect smaller markets to larger ones, they’re also are used to connect major cities. More than 80% of flights between Boston and New York’s LaGuardia Airport are flown by regional jets, along with 71% of the flights between Los Angeles and San Jose and nearly half the flights between Boston and Washington.

“If it’s 2 p.m. on a weekday afternoon and you don’t need 175 seats, you can put a 50-seater on one of those major routes,” Boyd said.

Regional jets being parked

But the economics of regional jets are changing. A shortage of pilots has led to sharp increase in wages at regional carriers, which have typically been considered entry-level jobs for pilots fresh out of flight school.

“Regional airline pilot pay has gone up 500%,” said Kit Darby, a pilot career consultant. “Seven to eight years ago, starting pay was $25,000. Now it’s $125,000.”

“When wages go up, you need as many people on the plane to cover the cost of the pilots,” Boyd said.

That means many of the older regional jets have been parked, either because of a shortage of pilots or the significant operating costs. Darby said about 350 regional jets are currently parked and not in use.

Boyd said that many of the older planes need a major overhaul of their engines and other equipment in order to keep operating. That can cost $1 million or more per aircraft, he said.

“Those that are parked are most likely parked permanently,” he said. “If it’s a 50-seater, it’s not coming back. To bring them back into service costs a lot of money.”